Life After the NFL: Ahman Green on Mindset, Discipline, and Purpose - Part 1

Welcome to the Legacy All-Stars Podcast. We feature inspirational stories from people who dedicate themselves to helping others. Here is your host, Alan Pavlosky.

All right, everybody, an exciting day here at my show. Welcome to another episode of Legacy All-Stars Podcast, where we celebrate athletes, leaders, and changemakers who are using their talents, influence, and experience to make the world a better place. I'm Alan Pavlosky. Today's guest is someone who represents excellence at the highest level, both on and off the field. When you talk about greatness in the NFL, especially at the running back position, Ahman Green is firmly in that conversation. A 4-time Pro Bowler, all-time leading rusher in Green Bay Packers history, he built a career defined by consistency, toughness, and elite performance. Within one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. But what makes this conversation truly meaningful goes way beyond football. Over the past 25 years, I've had the great privilege of knowing Amon personally as a friend, as a colleague, and watching his journey evolve, not just as an athlete, but as a leader, a philanthropist, and someone deeply committed to creating opportunities for others. This is a conversation about reinvention, about purpose, and about what it really means to build a legacy that lasts. Welcome to the show, my friend. Great to see you as always.

Of course, Alan. I'm excited to be here and ready to chit-chat for a little bit, you know, and bring viewers into my space, into my world.

I love it. Sounds great. Let's get started. I'm going to ask one football question, sort of, and let's get it out of the way. As stated, I've spent a lot of personal one-on-one time with you.

Yeah.

Whenever we were in public together, the fans mobbed you for autographs and tried to get a piece of you any way they could. My personal observation is that you always handled it with class and you went the extra mile for the fans. Did you ever wish you could have had a little bit more anonymity?

Uh, no. I kind of figured it out in college when my freshman year at Nebraska— being Nebraska was, you know, we were the top of the league back then and coming off of the national title season with, uh, the guys they had from Tommy Frazier, Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter, Tony Beeland, stuff like that. I was the hottest ticket in town. I was on the team that was the hottest ticket in town in Lincoln, Nebraska, and parts of the country too, you know, and when we travel on the road. So I basically, the way I was raised, and you know this, I kind of basically, you know, took it for what it's worth where I knew that, okay, I'm in something that is gonna never grow and change now. I've set up myself where I'm gonna get noticed. And it's like, all right, you're gonna have to deal with it. It's part of the job. You know, it's kind of the unwritten rule. And so my freshman year when I was 18, I've done a lot of stuff when I was young. And sometimes my parents will always say to me, you're different because you're doing stuff at 8 and 9 that teenagers don't do. So at 18, my freshman year, right after the first home game, I think we played Pacific or somebody.. And I remember coming up from the locker room, it was downstairs of the football office where we came up to the first floor and walked out to our family after the game was over and then walk home or to the car to go get dinner or whatever. And I remember that first time coming out, it was just a ton of Husker fans everywhere, green or red and white out there cheering for us, obviously wanting to stop us for autographs. And even before that moment happened, but when that moment happened, that was kind of it for me when I said, all right. I got to get used to this now. So I'm all in now and understand that when the fans come asking and I could just be myself. And if even if I've had maybe a, maybe 10 times in the last 30 years where I said, no, you know, I'm not in the mood right now. I got to get going. Sorry. I hate to have to move on, but I got to go. You know, it's maybe not even a dozen times where I turned down fans. In that instance. But I basically told myself, this is the job, you know. This is, this is part of the unwritten rule of being a professional athlete, being somebody that is noticed out in public, you know. And the scary thing is people know you before you know them, you know. You walk down the street and they're yelling your name and you're like, who are you, you know. Um, so it was just something I just agreed upon with myself, say, you know what, when a fan walks up to me even if I'm not in the greatest mood, I'm gonna do my best to get them, give them the experience they want to be. Because I thought about if I met my guys, like, and ladies, like, I follow or was a fan of, you know, from, you know, Walter Payton to Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr., any of those guys, actors, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, you know, if I met any of those people, I would hope they would be like, Hi, how you doing? You know, and here's this, you know, I have time for a picture or I have time just to say hello, but I got, you know, long as this, they're human and this gives me, I don't want a whole bunch of your time. I just want to say, hey, I'm a fan. And I've had the opportunity to say that to a few, I say entertainers and where they're at the airport and I just see them. I notice them and I don't slow them down much. I just say, hey, how you doing? That's it. I'm a fan, you know, and kind of let them go about their way because I understand, you know, people are living on their own, you know, they're just trying to live just like anybody else. But we put everybody on a pedestal and sometimes the fans get, uh, they get so starstruck that they think that they're gonna stop and say something. And it's like, well, wait a minute, you gotta remember they're human first. They got something going on. Maybe they have to get to, you know, something with their family or they gotta get to their next flight or whatever. They got something going on. So don't get mad If somebody that's famous that you're a fan of may not stop and talk and shoot it with you for 2 minutes, just know that they got stuff going on. They got business going on. Or they might not have that in their personality. Like I do. Like I said, I made a contract with myself. I'mma stop. I'll say, I'll give you 5 minutes. And then if I have to move, I'll say, hey, I got to go, but appreciate your time. Thank you for being a fan. So I kind of like sealed that deal in my head so it never became something uncomfortable because I didn't want somebody in front of me and they could see I'm squirming. I didn't want that because then they'll know that I'm not authentic and I want to be real to people because I'm a fan. I'm a sports fan. I'm a comic book fan. I'm Batman right there. And if I ever ran into Michael Keaton or Ben Affleck, I'm going to just be a fanboy like, "Hey man, how you doing? I got your stuff. I'm a fan." they ask questions about movies and stuff like that. And if they, you know, once I get my piece out, if they didn't say, you know, they didn't want to have a full conversation, then I'll be like, thank you for your time because you didn't even have to sit here and listen to that 2-minute spiel of me being a fanboy. So I just learned how to make it a contract, like do it and do it full go, just like I live my life, just like I play ball and be authentic at the opportunity.

You know, I thought about this question before I asked it, and I always known you forever, so I thought about the fact that Batman was your favorite character and how that anonymity that Batman had could have contributed to something you might have been feeling. So that thought process behind that question was centered around your love for Batman, to be honest. Yeah.

And like, I didn't mind people knowing who I was. Recognizing me. And like I said, that contract in my head just saying, you know what, it's okay to know that people are going to know me first. You know, like I said, so I was like, okay with that. I got okay with that. And then it made every experience with a fan more pleasurable, more fun, especially when they— I mean, when I thought about it too, after probably when we started, when we met, and by the time I was a professional, I'm like, man, I'm just showing up and people are smiling, or the people's days are brightened up. And I'm like, I didn't even do nothing, I just arrived. And I'm like, oh man, this is going to be fun, you know. Once I got to the league and I do an autograph signing or do a speaking engagement, and it's like, man, I'm just showing up to the place, I didn't even say nothing yet. I haven't told my story, I haven't said I'm a football fan, baseball fan, Batman fan, video game gamer. I haven't even went into that. And I was like, if they already like me, like, man, that's cool. So they gonna even love me when they find out I'm just a geek, dork, comic book fanatic, like any— like everybody else living on, on this big rock hurling through the cosmos right now. So it was just like, okay, that's what, um, I said I'm ready to do, and I'm gonna do a full go just like I've done everything else.

Yeah, absolutely. All right, let's shift gears. What early influences shaped your mindset around getting back?

I would have to say just seeing stuff that, you know, with my stepdad Edward, who you met, um, and him coaching me, you know, as a parent obviously, and then as a coach because he was a— I played Little League football in Los Angeles at Baldwin Hills, and he didn't coach me directly, he indirectly coached me. He was a coach of another team, he coached the offensive line, but that car ride back and forth to practice or to school was the education of something. And when we would talk about sports and talk about me and, you know, being somebody that would be basically playing the sport that, you know, from the discipline to listening and doing your job at home, like, you know, cleaning my room and all that stuff, it just was something that he didn't beat around the bush about, which I learned I'd rather hear it straight up like that than somebody sugarcoat something because I could find it out real quick. I'm like, oh, you're just making this sound easy, but you're really, you know, don't sugarcoat it. Tell me real. Tell me what I need to do or what my punishment is so then I can process it and learn from it and then, you know, be ready. So him doing that made me one, driven because I always wanted to make sure I was doing things right. Two, that I have to work hard for whatever I want, even if it's just hanging out with my friends. That means gaining their trust, you know, gaining their accountability or friendship in general, to be like, hey, you know, we're friends, you know, we can trust each other, we could have fun around each other, stuff like that. So it's just covered everywhere because he would tell me stories about his childhood when he was a teenager or whatever, and then my mom too. Same thing, you know, you met her several times and telling the stories and then holding me accountable as an adolescent, you know, when I'm between the ages of 5 and 10, telling me stuff like, well, if you get A's and B's, then we'll buy more video games for you because you earned it. Basically, it's putting that in me like, if you don't do something, don't ask for something, but if you do stuff, then you earn it and we'll give it to you. But you gotta earn it first. You can't just say, "Can I have this, Mom? Can I have this, Dad?" What you do? You know, you got an A on your test from Friday? You know, what's, are you been in trouble with Mom or me or with your teachers at school? It was always that type of questioning when I would ask for something. But by the time I was more than, I say probably like 9, I figured it out. So it was like, all right, I got A's and B's in my classes. Everything's good here, you know, at home. And all right, Dad, this is what I want to ask you about. Can we go to the movies this Friday because this movie's coming out? Or this video game is about to come out and I need— I have $20. Can you meet me halfway and you give me the other $20 and I'll pay you back? Like, it was a payback system too. I knew all that. So it's things that they put instilled in me that I knew that if I wanted to do stuff, One, I gotta do my part first and then ask for assistance or whatever, support of anything, then get it done. And if I did need support, just say, hey, we're always in the background, you know. They always let me know, like, here, you know, you're going over your friend's house, can we talk to their parents, let know, you know, where you're going, make sure everything's okay, and other people's going to be there that's going to be responsible for you, you know. So just protect— being parents. And so That filtered into my brothers, two older brothers, Jerry and Nicky, my sister Tasha, you know, them being who they were. They weren't, you know, I didn't grow up around them, but when I did get in contact with them when we moved back to Nebraska from California, it was awesome because now I had an older brother. I had two older brothers and older sister that I always, you know, knew about, but now I'm back with them and it was just fun because, you know, they helped raise me because one of my brothers became my football my running backs coach right away. My other brother kind of was a strength trainer for me. He taught me how to work out, and, and the reward was dinner and video games. So I was like, you can't— I'm gonna never say no to that. I'm gonna work hard for video games and food. So let's go, for sure, you know. So that was my brother Jerry. And so my brother Nikki was my running backs coach for the North Omaha Boys Club Bears that I played for, uh, my last year of Little League football. So just, you know, having those influences, sister teaching me about nutrition and why I am a big advocate of healthy eating, you know, and healthy living, a style of living. Make sure— like, one of my biggest things I love to say to people, I, I like to deal with stress. I don't let stress deal with me, you know, because that's a big thing in the world we live in now. You know, people are occupied with everything, you know, in our space, right? We got the movies, we got the TV, we got tech, you know, especially technology. We got all this technology around us, but sometimes we forget to be human.

Yeah.

You know, and that means just having a conversation face to face, not, you know, virtually calling people on the phone, not sending a text message, even taking care of yourself, given moments of quietness where you, you know, I'm meditating now, making sure that my mind is balanced along with my, my soul, you know, who I am in this space. Because then when I could do that, then my day is a lot easier because obviously Some days are going to be a curveball. Some days are going to be a straight, you know, pitch right down the pike. But when those days are curveballs, it's a tough day, then I know my mind is going to be in a certain place. I'm going to be able to manage it better because I know I'm in more control of myself than the situation or the moment controlling me. Right.

You know?

Yeah, for sure. And it's even more— yeah, you know, during my career, there were things going on that, you know, that I had to beat and get past. It was close. It was intimate. It was with my first wife, you know? So getting through those moments and still being a Pro Bowler, you know, being a dynamic athlete on the football field and a parent and dealing with, you know, drama. And nobody would have known, you know, a few people knew. You was one of them. Um, you had seen it, you had heard about it, we talked about it from time to time, and a few of my teammates. So just understanding that, that's where I got to a place where I got to learn how to, you know, me control the situation. And not let the situation control me.

100%. Couldn't agree more. I remember your parents well, obviously, and one thing I loved about your dad is his love for jazz, because that was, that was my thing as well. So we had some good conversations around that. Yeah.

Yeah.

What was the defining moment where you realized you wanted to use your platform for something bigger, man?

I say really once I got in the league, I'll be honest. And I knew rookie year wasn't going to be it, but I was like, I'm here now. And I know, you know, let me grow in the space. Let me obviously earn a few contracts first to get my foundation going, which obviously it wasn't a big amount of money. It's only like $500 to start a foundation or something like that. But I didn't know.

Yeah. The money's not the issue. It's the intent. You've always had that intent.

Yes. And so once I got the education and I say, I probably wanted to be just more solidified, like. Like, you know, I got traded after my second year in Seattle. So it's like, man, if I would have started a foundation in Seattle, then it was like, man, we're already moving, you know. But it moves with you. I've learned that part. So it's not stuck to one state and being in the state line. So that's one thing I found out right away. So, but yeah, just like my mom and dad, like my siblings, going, being a YMCA kid and a Boys and Girls Club kid, seeing people teachers, counselors that come into a building and want to speak to us about whatever, to teach us about living life and how to get through things, how to manage things, how to think before you react type stuff. So I took, you know, when I heard an adult talk when I was a kid, I tuned in because listening to my mom and dad, I'm like, man, a lot of stuff they tell me, and it usually works out this way when I listen to what they tell me. So I was like, right, these adults must have something too, like my parents, so I'm gonna listen to them, you know, when they come in. And so I was like, man. And then one day, it had to be, I think it was when I was back in Nebraska, and LL Cool J came to the Boys and Girls Club and talked to us. And he was one of my favorite rappers at that time and still is to this day. And it clicked right then and there while he was talking. I saw a moment in my head, years later in my head for flashing forward, like saying, I want to do this, because I understood the influence he had on me. Because not only I liked his music, I end up liking him, right? Because I listened to the words that he talked about, you know. You know, he talked about being tough and being good-looking and all that, but some of the other songs, as you got, you know, other older albums, he was talking about like being himself, you know, most of the time, basically. And I was like, that's what I like about like him, was he raps about who he is. Yeah, he's, he's from a day, you know, a tough part of New York, and he went through this, and his mama says knock people out, and you know, that's her teaching him to be confident for himself, for whatever. And so like, I was like, I want to do— I can't wait where I could do that, where I walk in a room and everybody's like, you know, excited to hear me talk. That's when I knew. Also, I was 14. I was 14, 15 years old when that moment happened at the Boys and Girls Club in North Omaha. And I was like, I don't know what I'ma do, you know, to be on that level, but I'ma do— I know I'ma do something. And by the time I'm an adult, when I walk in a room, I got adults or kids ready to hear me out. And whatever I must share to them and, you know, motivate them to whatever, because he motivated me. You know, I remember his talk. I can't remember it exactly, but I know after he was done talking, I was excited. I was motivated. I was like, oh man, this was so cool that he took the time to come talk to us in North Omaha. You know, he's from New York City, right? You know, he's big-time international rapper, big albums. Then it was 1990— this was 1991. And just knew, you know, he was already on the scene. And so he comes to little Omaha, Nebraska, the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club, to speak some words. And it was just like, wow, this is cool.

Yeah.

I was like, I want to do that one day. Like I said before, people light up just me showing up in the room. And that's what happened. I lit up when he came through the door. I was like, hello, he's in Nebraska talking to us. Like, I was like, man, this is so cool. Like, I can't wait to just hear him talk. If not, I want to ask him questions, you know, why he made this song or why, you know, just whatever, just to communicate just for a little bit. And but that moment, that's when for me, I wanted to be the same influence for kids through either speaking engagements, my foundation that I created later. That is because I saw the effect and felt it from him. When I was 14 years old.

Yeah. You know, I talk about this on the show a lot, but you never know the tipping point that you create in somebody's life that will push them in a direction that's going to be more positive or more powerful or get them to a place where they're going to be able to reflect on what you said or did that had an impact on them in ways that you just never could have imagined as the mentor. But the mentee can see that there was something that clicked for them. At that moment. And so, um, yeah, I've seen that, you know, in my life. I've seen that in your life. I've seen you in person with kids and what kind of impact you've been able to have on them. I definitely can, can speak from experience in witnessing that. I love that that has the same impact on you in a positive way as it does on the mentee.

Yes, yes indeed. Yes indeed.

Speaking of those philanthropic experiences and those activities that you've had, what do you think had the most impact on you early as a philanthropist?

I say meeting the people, the parents, the kids that I did an event for. So started my foundation in 2001, the Iman Green Foundation. It was actually in the beginning, it was the Iman Green Foundation for Youth Development. Um, that was just the Iman Green. I chopped off the rest because I was like, that's what I'm gonna do anyway. But I'll say once I got that started and then actually meeting the people that I was fundraising for or advocating for or spreading awareness about their cause to other groups or to people that came to my golf event or to my video game tournament or Madden tournament or Halo tournament, which I've done in the past. And now, you know, I put in the chat, my initiative now is Digital Divide Initiative fundraiser. And it's just, it's this, just selling this t-shirt and this t-shirt says, what I become, the all-time leading rusher. And so I look at it as like something of a keepsake because obviously when you donate, usually, you know, obviously you get a thank you. You know, most places say thank you, they send you a little card. I said, I want something a little more cool. Like a card is good. You know, it's not a bad thing. It's a great gesture. But for people that, if they do donate, I know they're supportive. They're a fan on some level, even if they won't wear it or they buying it for somebody else, but at least they'll have a piece of history of what I've done, what I was able to do with football. So that's why me and Marie came up with the All Time Leading t-shirt. She designed it with a friend of hers from high school.

She is creative. Yes, for sure.

Um, we started it last— I say 2 months ago, so it's April. So February is when we started the campaign, and we sold quite a bit. It's kind of been on a plateau right now, but with this, hopefully, you know, be doing more events like this show and you sharing it on your— here on your platform would be, you know, more opportunities to get it out there and to people to buy. But it's for, again, supporting young people and their efforts to find out where they want to go in life. And so it supports esports programs. That's where I'm at now.

We're going to talk more about that because I want to dive into that heavy.

Yeah, so I'll say that for later.

We're going to talk about Digital Divide too.

So I'll stop there. Yeah, I'll stop there. Um, but, and what was the, what was the first part of the question? Or what was the question in general?

I mean, in general, I wanted to understand, in your early philanthropic work, what did you take from it.

Yeah, so the people that I met for the causes that I supported is meeting them and then hearing their story, you know. So that was the impact, is after meeting them, shaking a hand, giving them a hug, saying, hey, this is for you, you know, thank you for letting me be a voice for you to speak about what you're going through, good or bad or indifferent. And then, you know, them telling me their story.

Yeah.

You know, telling myself, Marie, my kids, if they were there with us, and how happy they were, you know, that somebody like me would recognize that this cause needs to be upfront and be told to people, you know.

Yeah.

And it's like that, that was for me the impact because that was like, I did it. You know, this was LL did to me. Absolutely. And I saw him speak at the Boys and Girls Club. He was speaking about himself. He wasn't there for a fundraiser or anything, but it resonated with me as a 14-year-old. And so now I had the same feeling, now giving it out like he did. And so those were the moments that I liked when every tournament event I did and the people who I did it for then said thank you in some way, shape, or form. Then that was justification and my job was complete. I was like, "I did it." You know, they said thank you. They were grateful. They were happy, and sometimes it was tears. Sometimes it was joy of hugging and handshakes, and some we were able to befriend, and so we still know them and talk to some of the families we've helped over the years, so it's not just the event, it was over. It was, "Hey, now when's the birthday party? We'll be there later on tonight," because some of the families lived in Green Bay, And if they didn't, we reached out to them from time to time to check in with them. So it was just that. It was now a friend. It wasn't just a passerby. It was somebody that we could connect and we stayed connected.

Hi, this is Alan Pavlosky. Thanks for tuning in to Legacy All-Stars. This is the end of part 1 of a special 2-part episode with Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame running back Ahman Green. Tune in next Tuesday for the conclusion of this special 2-part episode.