When Minnesota Vikings Running Back Robert Smith left the NFL in 2001, he knew he wanted to continue finding a way to inspire people to build healthy lifestyles by incorporating small habits day by day. He saw how important it was to give back to the community and leverage partnerships to help inspire and motivate others. With his vast network of NFL players and business relationships, he knew he could create something transformational for sports fans.
It was that spirit that led to Robert founding Fan Health Network, later evolving to Fan Huddle. His model of building strong partnerships for all is also one we carry with us with every conversation, decision, and collaboration for our company’s future.
The main partnership that launched it all: Fan Huddle’s collaboration with the NFL Players’ Association.
As the first player-founded company backed by the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) venture arm, this strong partnership allows Fan Huddle to bring exclusive access to industry-leading fitness, mindfulness, and lifestyle content with more than 30 current and former NFL players, Olympians, professional athletes, and industry experts. The Fan Huddle catalog integrates hundreds of sessions, including inspirational pep-talks from sports legends, guided meditations, yoga, strength training, HIIT workouts, and more.
Most importantly, by working with the NFLPA, we’re able to help players tell heartfelt stories, the kinds of tales you only get when you sit across the table from them after practice or as friends. In the Fan Huddle content library, we cover a wide range of topics, such as their favorite workouts, how they handle stress, how they fuel their body, how they recover, the relationships they cherish, and more.
At Fan Huddle, we’re excited to grow our partnership with the NFLPA that has led to some great athlete collaborations, like NFL Legends Emmitt Smith and Eddie George, New Orleans Saints superstar defensive end Cam Jordan, and up-and-coming players like Arizona Cardinals James Conner and Minnesota Vikings Irv Smith, Jr.
As Fan Huddle expands, we’ll continue to build more relationships with other professional and collegiate leagues. Our diverse athlete roster sets the stage for us to highlight more stellar stories and inspiration to keep us all moving forward.
Want to learn more about how to partner with Fan Huddle? Reach out, and let’s chat!