Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ken Crippen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ken thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I wanted to have a platform to help raise money for retired NFL players who can’t afford their medical bills. I’ve been interviewing players for over 30 years and in that time, you form a lot of close friendships and bonds. You hear their stories of the countless surgeries, the constant pain, and the struggles that these players go through long after they’ve retired from the game. Things like, not being able to walk, daily pain, as well as cognitive degradation to the point where some can’t remember anything about their life or they struggle to put a sentence together. It tears me apart to see that happen to these players, many of whom did not make the millions of dollars like today’s NFL superstars do. How can I not do something to try to help them? That’s one of the driving reasons why I founded The Football Learning Academy: to be able to raise money to help these players in need while also drawing awareness to the constant struggles they face. A portion of all of the proceeds that are raised in The Football Learning Academy goes to help retired players in need.

Giving back to retired players in need is only one facet of what we do here at the FLA. We’re dedicated to helping educate the public about this great sport of professional football, as well as shining a light on the many trailblazers who paved the way for others in this sport. Additionally, we love to amplify the inspiring work that both current and retired NFL players are doing in their communities, both globally and also on the local level, as well as focusing on the work being done by those who are pioneers and contribute to the betterment of people who are in the sporting world.

Ken, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

About me: I’ve been researching and writing about pro football history for over 30 years now. It started with me being a fan of the Buffalo Bills and wanting to learn more about the history of the franchise. It further expanded from there to want to learn more about the history of football in western New York. It then expanded into the history of the NFL and going back to the very origins of this great sport. Throughout that time, I would take the research that I’d gathered and put it into articles that were then published. This grew into me both writing books and also being involved in the creation of books.

I joined the Professional Football Researchers Association in the 1990s and then entered into a leadership role in 2006. I was in leadership positions within the PFRA for 15 years and then retired my leadership role in the PFRA in order to form The Football Learning Academy.

I’ve had the honor and pleasure of being interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone Magazine, The History Channel, ESPN Radio, and Fox Sports Radio. I was awarded the Dick Connor Writing Award from the Pro Football Writers of America, as well as the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Ralph Hay Award for Lifetime Achivement in Pro Football History.

Products and Services we provide: We offer classes, interviews, blog posts, and a podcast, all of which dive into not only the history of the game but also the players and the people who have made history in their own unique way. For us, it’s about the connectivity between the game and the individuals who played the game, as well as the people who have powerfully contributed to this sport. Additionally, we also love to speak to groups and organizations about the history of pro football.

What separates us from others is the we’re the only online school dedicated to teaching pro football history. Our talented and brilliant instructors are all leading authorities in their respective fields and provide well-researched and informative classes for our students. These classes focus on a wide variety of fascinating topics that span the entire history of this great sport.

What we’re most proud of/what we want people to know about us: We’re proud to have created this platform to support retired players in need and to be a voice to help those who need it the most. We’re proud to amplify the voices and incredible work of pioneers and trailblazers, as well as to help share the tireless efforts of those who do amazing things in the world in the service of others. We’re proud to teach people about this history of this exciting sport so that they can put today’s game into historical context.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

It all comes down to authenticity and integrity. In the type of work that I do, it’s incredibly important for people to trust you. When having a conversation with anyone who’s associated with the NFL, either past or present, they have to be able to trust you in order for them to open up with you. It’s imperative that you create a rapport with them and provide them with a space of trust, openness, and warmth

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Content, content, content! You’ve got to put content out and you’ve got to interact with people, especially when they add comments on your posts. Before joining a social media platform, make sure that you do your homework and understand whether that’s really the optimum social media site for you to even be on. Is this where your ideal clients and audience hang out? If yes, that’s where you want to establish and grow your presence. If not, you’re wasting valuable time and energy operating in a space that’s not your true home. My social media manager and I thought very carefully about which platforms would be best for me to help grow my brand.

Make sure that the content you offer has good variety and is interesting to your followers and/or connections. Everytime I create a new piece or style of content, I think about how the FLA’s connections and followers will feel when they see the content. What will they learn, what will they think? Will they be inspired? You have to continually ask yourself if the content you want to put out there is in true alignment with your brand and brand’s messaging. Over time, you settle into who you are and the energy and feel of your unique brand.

The more you post on social media means that you’ll be spending even more time creating and posting the content. Make sure that you’ve got the time and energy to maintain your online presence before jumping in and posting on a daily basis. The FLA is very active on social media, but it takes a lot of time to create the content that’s shared with our followers and community.

You have to give something new ample time to see if it works and truly lands with your audience. If it’s not working, make a change and then test that out. Sometimes, all it takes is one simple tweak in order for you to get the desired results you’re looking for.

We’ve also experimented with what times of day we post since our audience is active on social media at different times based upon the social media platform. Do yourself a favor and learn the best times to post on whatever platforms you utilize.

Take time to share what others are doing in the world and help amplify their voices and the work that they’re doing. It brings us so much joy to share the FLA’s monthly Players Charity Spotlight post (which highlights the amazing work of a foundation or organization that a current or retired NFL player is involved in).

At the FLA, we started small with one type of post. It’s a daily happy birthday post that celebrates the birthdays of a selection of past and present NFL players. From there, we added new styles of posts, including a weekly Wisdom Wednesday post, a couple of different types of On This Day historical posts, as well as a weekly Fun Friday post. From there, we continued to offer a wide variety of posts that educate and inspire.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.football-learning-academy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/footballlearningacademy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/959084951680579
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-crippen-mba/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FootballLearn1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@footballlearningacademy
• Other: Podcast: https://football-learning-academy.sportshistorynetwork.com

Image Credits
Gary Altoonian, Altoonian Photography (all others) Jeff Miller (podium blue shirt side-view photo only)