NFL stars are not just players, but are also business people and some of them instantly recognize the fierce competition in esports and all the opportunities that come with it.

The days of small neighborhood gaming tournaments are long gone. Esports is a global billion-dollar industry now and investors from all walks of life see the potential that comes with grand tournaments broadcasted to millions of viewers.

Many want a share of the revenue generated by the top esports orgs, but only a few truly understand what they are investing their money in. It takes someone that is deeply engrossed in sports competition to grasp the true potential of competitive video gaming. NFL players definitely do and they are getting more and more involved in esports.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 NFL stars who invested in esports.

Marquez Valdez-Scantling’s NFL career started with the Green Bay Packers in 2018, but he’s was quick to jump on the esports trend with his team Trench Made Gaming, created in collaboration with Subnation.

Trench Made Gaming is a relatively new endeavor, announced in March 2021, but has already hosted its first Call of Duty: Warzone tournament and is looking to try out players for their multi-gaming organization. The organization takes its name from the challenges its founder had to face in his career.

Rodger Saffold‘s 11-year career started in 2010 with the St. Louis Rams, but his love for gaming came about much earlier. He and his long-time friend Kahreem Horsley were very much into Gears of War and while Saffold went on to play in the NFL, Horsley dove deeper into competitive gaming with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

The friendship between the two and their appreciation of esports led them to create the Call of Duty team Rise Nation in 2014. Saffold and Horsley’s organization expanded over the years and now hosts espsorts teams in Valorant, FIFA, and Gears of War.

The third NFL star on our list is Marshawn Lynch. “Beast Mode”, as he has been nicknamed for his unstoppable running style, won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. The running back invested in NRG Esports in 2017 as a part of a Series B financing round that raised $15 million.

NRG Esports is a multi-gaming esports organization that fields teams in several esports disciplines such as Apex Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, and Rocket League. Their Overwatch team, the San Francisco Shock, is part of Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League and won back-to-back championships in season two and three.

Michael Strahan is someone New York Giants fans now really well. His 15-year career as a defensive end for the Giants culminated with a Super Bowl victory in 2007. Strahan continued his career as a television personality with shows such as “Good Morning America” and “Live! with Kelly and Michael”.

The former NFL star got in on NRG Esports’ Series B financing round alongside Lynch and is now an investor in the big esports organization.

NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young started his football career back in 1984 with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. During his 15 years in the NFL, he won the Super Bowl three times and became one of the most iconic players of his time.

The former quarterback jumped into the world of esports with an investment in Team Solo Mid in 2017. The North American organization opened up to investors for the first time then and managed to secure $38 million in the funding round Young participated in.

While TSM’s origins and most famous team come from League of Legends, the organization hosts rosters in many other modern-day esports such as R6: Siege, Apex Legends, and Valorant.