Eddie Lewis and Dan Vans' friendship began on the football field. They never expected to be Lincoln's neighbors.
LINCOLN, Calif. —
Retiring from a job you love can be difficult, especially if your job was playing in the NFL.
Two retired 49ers teammates talk about their journey to reinventing themselves and rebuilding their lives after leaving the field. Their friendship gave them the support they needed to understand that they would not be sidelined.
It was a friendship that started on the soccer field. Eddie Lewis and Dan Vanz both played for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions in the late '70s. Little did the former teammates know that they would later become Lincoln's neighbors.
“When I first saw him, I slammed on the brakes,” Vans said.
He realizes that the man standing by the road wearing a cowboy hat is Lewis.
Neither of them expected to play in the NFL. Lewis' main goal was to graduate from college.
“So when draft day came, I was still learning,” Lewis said.
Both were drafted into the NFL at the age of 23.
“Old NFL players didn't make any money. I mean, we got beat up, and we didn't have a lot of perks,” Vans said.
Mr. Lewis agreed that the money situation was different back then.
“The contract commitments started at $28,000 a year before taxes my rookie year,” Lewis said.
In today's game, the minimum annual salary for an NFL rookie is $750,000 as long as the player is on the active roster for the entire season.
Lewis was 27 and Vans 30 when they retired from the NFL. It was a tough transition to leave the game and career they loved. What came next was a journey to rebuild and reinvent my post-football life.
“Well, once you're released by the team, that's it. So the team gives you a ticket home and that's it,” Lewis said.
One of the biggest challenges was finding a new career. Both Lewis and Vans say retirement is a scary turning point in their lives.
“Are you going to build a second career? Who am I? Was I a soccer player? Who are you now?” Lewis wondered.
He hopes counseling will be available to former players to help them transition between their personal and professional lives.
After retiring from football, Lewis entered the insurance industry and retired for 36 years. Vans opened a sports bar in the Roseville area, became a teacher and retired after 22 years.
Both Lewis and Vans feel things are looking better for their players in today's game. Vans highlights a recent 49ers roundtable he attended. There, current and former players met to consider what kind of support they needed.
“We're in a big transition period, so I think we're going to make sure that the rest of the teams in the league are available to support the players when they're done,” Vans said.
But don't get me wrong. Both said they would like to play soccer again if given the chance.
“I wouldn't change anything. I would still have played. It was so much fun. It opens a lot of doors for you and friendships,” Lewis said.
“Now I have good neighbors who can sometimes come over and eavesdrop and share stories,” Vans said.
See more ABC10:California's ban on youth tackle football won't move forward
