DREW BLEDSOE WASHINGTON STATE
By Jackson Long
The relationship between quarterbacks and receivers is much like the relationship between wine producers and grapes—neither can succeed without the other. Drew Bledsoe knows how it feels in both cases. The former Washington State quarterback spent 14 years as an elite NFL signal caller, racking up an impressive list of acco- lades. Since leaving football, Bledsoe has become a founder and owner of a winery.
In 2007, Bledsoe launched Doubleback Winery in his hometown
of Walla Walla, Wash. He had planned to start a winery with fellow former NFL quarterbacks Rick Mirer, Damon Huard, and Dan Marino, but, according to Bledsoe, the four realized “there were to many chiefs in the tribe,” and they were too spread out geographi- cally to work together. Instead, Bledsoe started Doubleback with his friend Chris Figgins (pictured with Drew). Since its fi rst sold-out release in its debut year in 2007, Double- back has been highly successful. It’s also been rated very high by the wine industry.
Managing, planning and working with people of varying person-
JEREMY BLOOM COLORADO
By Mike Denevi
Jeremy Bloom has been juggling responsibilities since his days as a two-sport star athlete at the Uni- versity of Colorado. Bloom—the former All-American return specialist, wide receiver, and Olympic skier— continues to excel in a wide variety of fi elds today. The 29-year-old Colorado native still resides in his home state, where he is an analyst for Fox Sports, as well as a successful entrepreneur. In 2008, Bloom founded Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime, a program that grants lifelong wishes to senior citizens who have overcome tremendous challenges in their own lives. The program was started in honor of Bloom’s grandmother and continues to grant hundreds of wishes each year. “There’s just so much more we can do as a society to give back
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alities are just some of the things Bledsoe has used both in football and in his business today. “There is a ton of carryover from football into the business world,” Bledsoe said.
He credits his achievements after football to the skills of time management he learned both at Washington State and in the NFL, whether that was balancing studies and sports or the many respon- sibilities of being a team leader. In addition to the winery, Bledsoe also started an investment group, a coffee roasting company, and various other enterprises. “When I made the decision to retire from football, I made sure I was moving from football into something,” he says. The man with a game plan and his family now live in Bend, Ore., where he spends time working on business ventures and coaching his kids’ football teams.
to these 80-, 90-, and 100-year-olds,” Bloom says. Bloom still works with Wish of a Lifetime, and also co-founded Integrate, a company that provides a next-generation multi-channel advertising marketplace.
Integrate has grown to more than 100 team mem- bers and has six offi ces throughout the country. In 2011, Integrate was named “Best New Company of the Year” at the annual American Business Awards in New York City. “It’s a lot like running a football team,” Bloom says of his fast-rising company. “You’ve got to be
able to get the right people on and off the bus.” Bloom described managing Integrate as challenging but ex- plained that his experience as an athlete allowed him to succeed. “There are similarities between athletes and entrepreneurs,” Bloom says. “Neither take ‘no’ for an answer. You have to look at the challenges not as insurmountable, but as problems looking for a solution.”
AP/Wide World
Doubleback Winery
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