Meet Pat Brown
Pat Brown is a former Division I football player, team captain, and living proof that being a “former athlete” does not come with instructions, a timeline, or a guaranteed next step. He played football at the University of Kansas, where preparation was mandatory, accountability was enforced, and showing up unready was noticed immediately.
Serving as a team captain reinforced a few lifelong principles. Be prepared. Be consistent. Take care of the people around you. Those lessons stuck, even after the locker room disappeared and the schedule stopped telling him exactly where to be every hour of the day.
After football, Pat experienced what most former athletes do. One day your life is planned down to the minute. The next day, no one is calling plays, no one is checking attendance, and Tuesday somehow feels much longer than it ever did in-season. That abrupt and often confusing transition became the catalyst for his professional mission.
Instead of walking away from his athlete identity, Pat decided to translate it.
He is the founder and creator of Former Student Athlete, a platform built to help former student athletes navigate life after sports with clarity, confidence, and practical guidance. Through long form content, resources, workshops, and speaking engagements, the platform focuses on what actually shows up after competition ends. Career and corporate transitions. Financial literacy. Health and wellness. Identity shifts. Relationships. Purpose. And the realization that “I used to play” is not a long term strategy.
As NIL reshaped college athletics, Pat also created Financial Literacy for NIL and Financial Literacy for Student Athletes to help current athletes understand money, contracts, taxes, and decision making before mistakes become expensive lessons. These platforms are built to speak to athletes in plain language, without lectures, assumptions, or fine print no one actually reads.
To support that education, Pat authored a growing collection of Financial Literacy books designed specifically for the NIL era. These titles are available on Amazon and written for athletes and families who want clarity, not confusion:
- Financial Literacy for NIL
- Financial Literacy for NIL for Parents of Student Athletes
- Financial Literacy for NIL for High School Students
- Financial Literacy for International Student Athletes
- Tax Literacy for NIL
Each book is designed to meet people where they are, whether they are an athlete earning income for the first time, a parent trying to help without guessing, or a student navigating unfamiliar financial and tax systems.
Professionally, Pat is a senior financial advisor with more than 20 years of experience in financial services. He holds advanced professional designations including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®), and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®). He has completed MBA coursework and continues to pursue additional education, including the CFP® certification. His work spans retirement planning, tax aware wealth strategies, philanthropic planning, and financial education, with a particular focus on individuals navigating career transitions and nontraditional income paths.
Pat’s perspective lives at the intersection of athletics, finance, and education. He understands pressure. He understands performance. And he understands what it feels like when the season ends and everyone assumes you will just figure it out. As a former athlete, he speaks from lived experience. As an advisor and educator, he brings structure, clarity, and a plan.
Today, Pat continues to write, teach, speak, and build platforms designed to help athletes and former athletes apply their competitive mindset to life beyond sports.
The end of a playing career is not the end of ambition, growth, or purpose. It is simply the start of a new season. And with the right guidance, former athletes can still win long after the final whistle.
