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CASE STUDY

Life After the Game: Why Former Pros Keep Coming Back to Exos
Former pros do medicine ball work with a football in focus
THE CHALLENGE

When the Game Ends, Everything Changes

A pro football career starts long before the league. It starts in grade school. And by the time it ends, the game has shaped a player's body, his schedule, his friendships, and his sense of who he is for twenty years or more.

Then one day, it's just over. The locker room empties. The structure disappears. As one former player put it, "You go from having 53 best friends to not knowing who you are."

The hardest part of leaving football usually isn't physical. It's the loss of identity, routine, and brotherhood, all at once. Romby Bryant, an eleven-year pro, was blunt about it: "I didn't handle it well." It's one of the hardest transitions in sports, and it's exactly the kind of problem Exos is built to solve.
THE SOLUTION

Rebuilding the Whole Athlete

Through a partnership with The Trust (Powered by the NFLPA), the former-player organization powered by the players’ union, Exos gives retired players something most haven’t had since their playing days: a comprehensive plan built entirely around them.

Some people come to address chronic pain they’d assumed was permanent. Others want to get back in shape with a real community after years away.

Coaches, dietitians, and physical therapists work as one team to pinpoint the problem and build a fully personalized Gameplan around training, nutrition, recovery, and more, adjusted as they progress. That’s the difference between the Exos system and a gym membership.

But a plan is only as good as the will to keep showing up. Across Exos facilities, former players find the one thing every retiree misses most. The camaraderie, the competition, the brotherhood — guys pushing each other and sharing a laugh the whole way through. Back around their peers, they find what they’d been missing and keep coming back for years.
An Exos coach and former pro dap up
THE RESULTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Impact That Lasts Beyond the Game

The proof is in what the players say, and in how long they keep coming back. Just to name a few success stories:
Keith Elias wearing #23

Keith Elias arrived years after his playing career, carrying chronic pain he expected to be permanent.

"My experience with Exos was nothing less than life-changing. I went in with pains I thought I was going to have to live with forever. I was shocked and amazed that in one week, they were able to help me and clearly identify why — then give me a game plan on how to mitigate them."

Keith Elias
Former Pro Running Back
Ben Hartsock posing on the field

Ben Hartsock came in for a reset, not expecting much. He left with a plan he still uses today.

"To have coaches, nutritionists, and therapists at your beck and call, to help you tweak what you're doing, is great. If you had no program, they'll help you build one. If you had a plan of your own, they'll help you tweak it. It was great to be back around people who are at the top of their game."

Ben Hartsock
Former Pro Tight End
Romby Bryant holding a football

Romby Bryant played eleven years. When it ended, he lost more than the game — and years later, he’s still at the facility most weeks.

"You have people who genuinely care about you and want to see you grow and see you get better every single day — it definitely helps."

Romby Bryant
Former Pro Wide Receiver

A Custom-Built, Scalable Model

Exos doesn’t do cookie-cutter employee engagement solutions. Each of our programs is personalized to our clients’ unique needs, and they go far beyond just the fitness center. 
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Standardized Wellness Programs

Through rapidly changing eras including COVID-19, Exos consistently rolled out group fitness, nutritional support, mental well-being, and virtual employee engagement solutions to meet the evolving needs of employees. During Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Exos teams supported operations by checking in employees and leading movement sessions in line.

Strategic Design & Build Services

Our world-class space design and development team designed and built six new facilities and renovated six existing ones across the U.S. This included redeploying $300,000 in exercise equipment assets, obtained through acquisitions, to generate significant cost savings and upgrade Pfizer’s portfolio of workplace amenities.

Service Request Platform

Exos implemented an online service request system to support streamlined coordination of Recharge Breaks and other wellness offerings. This platform has supported global program delivery across Pfizer's workforce.

Global Hybrid Expansion

Exos virtual coaching gave Pfizer employees across the globe access to wellness programming, regardless of location or remote status.

Centralized Management

Exos implemented a unified standard operating model across 14 locations to ensure a consistent member experience. This included revenue/expense management, programming, staffing, and data tracking.

Recharge Breaks Deployment

As of January 2025, Exos officially deployed the three standard Recharge Break formats (for energy, creativity, or calm) across Pfizer. These sessions are delivered by both on-site and virtual coaches. To date, the team has completed 198 sessions with a total attendance of 8,255.

Data-Driven Efficiencies

Our team implemented Net Promoter Score (NPS) tracking, utilization data, and outcome monitoring to continually measure impact and improve how we serve each member.
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Fitness Center Management

people-group

Centralized Operations

programming

Hybrid Programming

headset

Virtual Coaching

group-work

Group Exercise

nutrition

Nutrition & Wellness Integration

space-design

Space Design & Renovation

training

Personal Training

massage

Massage Therapy

recreation

Recreation Management

nutrition-plan

Nutrition Consults

meal-plan

Meal Planning

coaching

One-on-one Coaching

app

Exos App

Results

Consistent quality, scaled delivery, and versatile impact.

63 NPS

vs. industry average of 26

14

centrally-operated fitness centers, expanded from 3 since 2000.

71,000+

global Pfizer employees served by Exos virtual coaching across 45 countries

8,200+

employees engaged through Recharge Breaks alone

11,000+

skin cancer screenings completed

26

melanoma cases detected

Your Next Chapter Starts Here

Nobody gets there alone. Whether you’re preparing for a season, a comeback, or the next chapter of your life, talk to Exos about how we can support you.