14 » OpenRoad Driver
Now that you’ve retired from the NFL,
where do you spend most of your time?
Now that I’ve retired from the NFL, I spend
my time doing my radio show on 950 KJR in
Seattle. I spend a lot of time with my family and
mentor some of the young men on the Seahawks
defensive line. I do a little bit of real estate
investing, but spend most of my time working
on my foundation – The Cliff Avril Family
Foundation.
How did your professional football career
help you as you enter this new chapter in
your life?
My NFL career has helped me in so many ways.
The NFL really helped me understand how
business works. It’s very cut throat – one second
you have a job and the next you’re looking for
one. This taught me to stay at the top of my
game at all times. This has carried over to my
life after the NFL. I try to be at the top of my
game professionally and personally. The NFL also
taught me how to be a good teammate and work
with a diverse group of people to achieve one
common goal.
Where do you want the Cliff Avril Family
Foundation and your other business
endeavours to be a few years from now?
I want the CAFF to continue making a difference
in the world. The goal is to get to the point where
it’s something I can pass on to my kids and
something they can pass down to theirs. I want
my kids to understand the value of helping others
and continue all of the work we’ve done for our
local community. As for my business’s endeavours,
I plan on continuing my growth and knowledge
of various industries.
What would you like your legacy to be
recognized for?
I want to be recognized for my foundation’s work.
I feel that if the first thing you think of when
thinking about me is football, I’ve failed. It’ll
come up for sure, but I think the impact that we
make off the field is greater than anything I’ve
done on the football field. Football gave me the
opportunity to do so, but it was a stepping stone
to be able to create change in the world.