Brandon Meriweather does not watch NFL games, at least not in a normal sense.
He loves the sport, always has. After years on the inside, though, Meriweather’s eyes see things differently than the fan whose exposure to the league is limited to a few hours each week in the late summer and fall.
Meriweather played nine seasons in the NFL before retiring after the 2015 season, and his knowledge skews the images that flicker across the television screen — such as the ones that approached, like a wave on a beach, on the first Sunday of the regular season.
“I watch all of my friends that’s playing, and I critique,’’ Meriweather said. “I call them after the game and go, ‘Yo, you can’t do that in the middle of the field, man.’ ‘Your break on this was flat, man. You’ve got to do this.’
“When I watch the game now, I see mistakes.’’
Meriweather, 34, is involved in another competitive field these days: the business world.
The Ocoee resident owns a restaurant called The Tavern at Rock Springs Ridge in Apopka, runs a food-takeout delivery service and manages rental properties.
Meriweather also is involved with World Sports Alumni, a Central Florida-based organization connecting athletes in myriad sports.
How did Meriweather make the transition out of the NFL? By not forgetting what football taught him.
Among the lessons:
Expect success
Meriweather, the 24th overall pick by the New England Patriots in the 2007 NFL Draft, played for five head coaches.
Three won multiple Super Bowls: Bill Belichick, Mike Shanahan and Tom Coughlin. Meriweather, a safety, played in one Super Bowl — the Patriots lost 17-14 to the New York Giants after his rookie season — but being around men with so much bling rubs off.
Team matters most
Meriweather did not go into business with the assumption that his NFL pedigree would determine his success or failure.
He worked at it.
Mike Handy said Meriweather, his business partner, clears tables, cooks if needed and pays attention to small details. Meriweather is part of the team, not above it.
“I honestly try to stay away from partnerships, because 99 percent of the time, they don’t do their share in one way or another,’’ Handy said. “He’s probably the best partner I’ve ever had.’’
Don’t be afraid
Meriweather was not surprised when his NFL career ended.
“My legs were giving out on me,’’ he said.
Meriweather had played football since he was 6 years old — a friend forged a birth certificate so he could play with older children — and now it wasn’t there anymore.
“Imagine being in an unfamiliar dark room, and you are searching the wall for the light switch,’’ said Ron Dixon, a former NFL player living in Lake Nona. “It’s trying to find that direction, to find that excitement and passion that you used to have for that sport, and now you’re 25, 30 years old and you have to redirect it.’’
That can be scary. Meriweather was undeterred.
He was ready to try something new.
It pays to look ahead
While Meriweather accumulated impressive career totals — 112 games, 17 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, two Pro Bowl selections — he imagined his post-football life.
“NFL guys never know when their NFL career is going to be over,’’ he said. “You don’t prepare for the ending of your career until it’s too late.’’
Meriweather was encouraged by an aunt to invest in single-family homes while he played.
“I knew he needed something to fall back on,’’ Carla Pryor said. “Rental properties are a great opportunity. I saw that he had a drive in him and wanted more for his life.’’
Learn to adapt
Meriweather did not study business. He said his degree from UM is in criminology.
He’s a small-town guy who handled playing in some of the nation’s biggest media markets: Boston, Chicago, Washington and New York.
Meriweather is used to in-game adjustments.
Adaptability became one of his most utilized skills.
“The NFL helped me a lot running any kind of business,’’ he said. “I’m always punctual. I have no problem doing what I need to do, and it helps me not to be a procrastinator.
“It helps me with all the small things and the details [it takes] to be successful.’’
