.svg)
Congratulations!
You have joined our growing community.
We will send a message to your email when ourplatform is available.
GOT ITOops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
We will send a message to your email when ourplatform is available.
GOT ITMay 26, 2025
How former Super Bowl champ, Tony Hills, turned his calling into a career of service and leadership for athletes in transition.
For most professional athletes, stepping away from the game means stepping into uncertainty. What comes next, when the lights dim and the crowd fades? For former NFL offensive tackle Tony Hills, the answer wasn’t immediate but it was purposeful. Now known as “Tony the Tycoon,” he’s using his platform to guide other athletes through the same transition he once faced, helping them manage wealth, find purpose, and become impactful leaders off the field.
Born in Mesquite, Texas, and raised in Houston, Tony Hills has always been driven by faith, service, and leadership. His football career began at the University of Texas, where he played from 2004 to 2007 and won a national championship. In 2008, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers where just a year later, he won a Super Bowl.
But in 2017, after a 10-year NFL career with teams including the Steelers, Broncos, and Saints, Tony retired from professional football and faced a daunting question: What now?
“Like many athletes, I had to figure out what the next move was,” Tony says. “The game had been such a big part of my life, but it wasn’t who I was. It wasn’t my purpose.”
That realization led Tony into the financial space, where he founded Staff Financial and Athlete Alliance; two ventures aimed at educating athletes on wealth management and guiding them to align their purpose with their professional pursuits.
Tony is open about the challenges of life after sport. “The hardest part was understanding who I was outside of the game,” he explains. “You spend your whole life focused on one thing, and when it’s over, you’re left with big questions. The sport was something I did – it wasn’t my identity.”
That identity crisis is something many athletes experience when they retire, and it’s exactly what Tony now helps others overcome. “It’s about finding your purpose and figuring out what to do with it. Once I discovered mine, everything started to change.”
Tony’s transition was fueled by his faith and his relentless pursuit of knowledge. A self-described “seeker of truth,” he found clarity and direction through his spiritual beliefs and the mentorship of thought leaders like Myron Golden.
“Myron’s community content and programs really resonated with me,” Tony says. “He became a coach for me – just like the coaches I had in football. Once I found my coach in this new space, life started changing.”
That change didn’t just benefit Tony, it inspired him to help others make the leap. “Just like in football, success in life comes from having the right people in your corner.”
When Tony discovered FreeAgent, the mission felt familiar.
“You guys are doing a phenomenal thing,” he says. “This transition from sports into the real world – it’s not easy. I even wrote a book about it: What To Do When It’s Done: Navigating Life After the Game. And what I’ve realized is that transition doesn’t just affect athletes. It affects military veterans, corporate execs, anyone who’s spent their life doing one thing and is now facing the unknown.”
What sets FreeAgent apart, according to Tony, is its singular focus. “There’s never really been a dedicated platform to help athletes specifically navigate this space. FreeAgent is doing just that and I want to be a part of it.”
Tony sees a clear reason why athletes thrive in the professional world after sport: they’re built differently.
“Perseverance, leadership, teamwork – those qualities are baked into us,” he says. “Athletes know how to overcome. They don’t need babysitting. They set goals, they execute, and they elevate the people around them.”
He believes that when athletes learn how to channel their skills into business, the results speak for themselves. “Athletes make great CEOs, great team leaders. If they understand how to transfer those skills, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”
Today, through his companies and speaking engagements, Tony is living out his mission: helping athletes manage their wealth, discover their purpose, and serve the communities they’re called to impact. It’s not just about making money – it’s about making a difference.