Jake Plummer on Leaving the NFL, Finding Purpose, and Starting a Wellness Brand

Jake Plummer on Leaving the NFL, Finding Purpose, and Starting a Wellness Brand

Author: Jim Harshaw, Jr. August 3, 2026 Duration: 43:53

#536 Jake Plummer on Leaving the NFL, Finding Purpose, and Starting a Wellness Brand

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Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION

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You've had a bad meeting, a bad pitch, a bad conversation with your wife, and the voice in your head doesn't let you forget it for the rest of the day.

Former NFL player Jake Plummer used to have that same voice waiting for him every time he walked off the field, except his mistakes were being replayed on national television.

Jake grew up in Boise, Idaho, played quarterback at Arizona State on the undefeated 1996 team, then spent 10 years in the NFL, four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and six with the Denver Broncos.

In this episode of "Success for the Athletic-Minded Man," we get into how Jake learned to reset after a bad play in front of thousands of people, and why he says belief in yourself has to come before anyone else's belief in you. 

Jake shares why he walked away from football in his mid-30s while he could still walk away on his own terms, rather than wait for the game to make that decision for him. Ten years of scrutiny and physical punishment, and he never had one major injury to point to. It was what came after football that started breaking his body down.

Joint pain and inflammation in his late 30s sent Jake looking for answers outside a doctor's office. That search led him to hemp extracts, then to functional mushrooms like Lion's Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps, and eventually to co-founding Umbo. He breaks down what these mushrooms are actually supposed to do for sleep, energy, and recovery.

Most guys wait for something to force a decision (an injury, a burnout, a wake-up call) rather than walking away from something on their own terms. Jake did it while he was still healthy, still capable, still at the top of his game. If you've been putting off a decision like that in your own career or health, this conversation is worth tuning in to. Don’t miss it!

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode— as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode— at http://www.JimHarshawJr.com/Action.  





There's a particular drive that comes from a background in sports, a mindset forged in competition and discipline that doesn't just switch off when you leave the field. Success for the Athletic-Minded Man taps directly into that energy, translating the core principles of athletic performance into tools for everyday life. Host Jim Harshaw, Jr. understands that the same clarity needed to execute a game plan, the focus required in a critical moment, and the consistency of daily practice are the exact traits that define winning in business, relationships, and personal health. This isn't about finding more hours in the day; it's about applying a strategic, trained approach to all of it. Each episode feels like a conversation with a coach who's been in your shoes, addressing the real tension between ambitious career goals, being a present father and partner, and maintaining physical fitness without letting any single priority suffer. You'll hear practical discussions on management, self-improvement, and the mental frameworks that help you stop shortchanging the areas that matter most. The podcast moves beyond theory, offering actionable insights for men who aim to build a life of sustained achievement, where success is measured across the board, not just on a scoreboard.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Success for the Athletic-Minded Man
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