NFL Players' Podcast

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of AWM Capital, sharing personal stories from our own journeys as NFL players and what inspired us to champion athlete-focused wealth management. We discuss the challenges pros face both on and off the field, the shortcomings of the broader financial industry, and the passion that drives their unique team approach. With candid reflections and powerful insights, this conversation offers listeners a rare window into why serving athlete families is different—and how real change happens from within the locker room. If you want to understand the bigger picture of athlete wealth and legacy, this episode is a must-listen.

Chapters
(00:00) Origin Stories and Motivation
(03:15) Building the Athlete-Focused Team
(07:37) Unique Paths Into Athlete Wealth Management
(09:27) Personal Mission to Serve Athletes
(12:15) Changing Athlete Wealth Culture
(14:28) Setting Athletes Up to Succeed

Connect with us
• Call or text: 602-989-5022
• Website: https://www.athletefamilyoffice.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awmcapital/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awmcapital/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awmcapital/
• X: https://twitter.com/awmcapital

Creators and Guests

Host
Jeff Locke
Wealth Strategist and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) at AWM Capital
Host
Riccardo Stewart
Former college character coach and Director of Human Capital & Family Leadership
Host
Sam Acho
Director of Human Capital and Impact and an in-studio and game analyst for ESPN.
Host
Zach Miller
Former NFL player and current CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)

What is NFL Players' Podcast?

The podcast by NFL players for NFL players. Each week, we break down the biggest events in football and how they directly impact a player's career and money.

Join Former NFL Veterans Sam Acho (Bills, Bucs, Bears & Cardinals), Zach Miller (Seahawks & Raiders), Jeff Locke (Vikings, Colts, Lions, 49ers), and college coach, Riccardo Stewart, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about the game, the business, and how players can achieve generational wealth.

Zach Miller "The Truth": The

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": to
another episode of the AWM NFL Podcast.

My name's Ricardo Stewart.

I have the pleasure of being
your host, and I'm joined with

my friends and my coworkers, Zach
Miller, Sam Acho, and Jeff Locke.

Fellas, one, it's good to be able to
just kinda inhale and exhale, right?

We're through the draft.

Our guys are getting onboarded.

Our new rookies are getting onboarded to,
to their teams and, and just get a, get

a, get a chance to sit back and really
wanna just for this episode focus on us.

Like, who are we?

Why do we do what we do?

And so just a little bit about
AWM Capital for, for the audience.

I mean, in short, our company was
started by two brothers, and their

background was baseball, college
baseball and professional baseball, and

the first clients, baseball players.

And so our firm in itself started with
working with baseball players, and then

we've grown now to NFL and golf, and we
got an NBA client coming, coming up soon.

But particularly us four is gonna
be-- I wanna tell everybody who we are

and why it is that we do what we do.

And, and first, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
start with you, Zach, because you were

the first to knock on the door, so to say,
of AWM and say, "Hey, I'm Zach Miller.

People call me The Truth.

Hire me."

Tell me, tell me how that actually
went, and what was the genesis

of you saying, "Hey, I don't
need a job, but I want a job"?

Zach Miller "The Truth": truth of it
is, is that don't believe there's enough

good advisors working with NFL players.

And that, that could be 'cause
they're taking advantage of NFL

players, or it could be just that
they don't have the, the capability.

They don't-- They're either where they
work is not best for NFL players, or

they don't do enough for the NFL players.

And so I look back at my situation
when I signed my $35 million deal,

I wish I hired a family office.

I didn't even know what
a family office was.

And so when I got my CFP, when I
was looking at places where I can

help players the most, it had to
be a place that does everything.

so, I mean, going back and looking at,
you know, the taxes we've talked about

where I cost myself a couple million,
but the opportunity cost of not being

invested in the best investments in the
world or the best investment strategy

in the world cost me tens of millions of
dollars because I was, I wasn't allocated,

I wasn't invested the right way.

So all of those things is why I'm an
advisor, because it's too important for

NFL players to take advantage of the high
earning years and be able to do whatever

they want once they're done playing.

If someone had just come and said,
"Hey, hey Zach, there's a group here

that can work with and you just do
what you have to do on the field.

They'll handle everything else.

You earn the money, you play as well as
you can, you be the best tight end you can

be," I would've signed up immediately I, I
would've said like Take care of the money.

I want financial freedom
when I'm done playing.

You tell me what to do,
I'll hit the savings rate.

I'll go earn the money.

I'll, I'll do the work on the field
if you guys, you know, contribute that

same effort the field with my money

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": So oddly
enough, the way it kinda happened, so

Eric, who's the, the found- one of the
founders of this company, calls me.

At the time, I'm coaching college
football at the University of

Nevada, beautiful Reno, shout out.

And he says, "Hey, do
you know Zach Miller?"

I said, "Yeah, we played
together in college."

He goes, "Man, he wants to work here."

And I just remember going, "He's one
of the smartest guys that I know,

so you might as well hire him."

And I'm sure Zach showed
up all 6'5", lean.

He probably intimidated these
guys, and so they hired him.

And so now with that comes
like, like Zach's now first

guy thinking about the NFL.

Well, Eric, same guy I was just talking
about, has been calling me for several

years going, "Hey, would you wanna
come and work at our family office?"

And honestly, it n- it never really
dawned on me to even think about

it until I was living in Reno.

I was new.

I was transitioning out of coaching, and
I had a friend of mine who was working in

his own independent firm there in Reno,
and he explained to me the business.

And I thought, "Man, that could be
interesting," but uniquely working with

NFL players, taking my background, being
a pastor for over a decade and then

coaching, um, college football, like
being around the sport and being able

to care, and it just made sense for me.

And it makes even more sense now that
we've been doing this for several years.

But the, the, the team was not
even close to being complete.

Eric tells me, "Hey, I-- If you're
gonna be in Phoenix, I want you

to meet with someone, Sam Acho."

And I'm like, "I know who Sam Acho is."

I mean, how do you not
know who Sam Acho is?

I seen that smile, right?

And so Sam, go ahead and you could tell
your story 'cause I know we actually

flew into Phoenix at the same time and
met in the offices, and we were both

kind of in the room like, "Are you in?

Are, are, are you in?

Do, do you wanna do this?"

Sam Acho "The Mayor": Yeah, my story
is a little bit maybe different

than Zach's in that, no, I wasn't
the highest paid at my position.

I was-- I did play nine years,
but it was a lot of like, man,

get it out the mud, like year in,
year out trying to figure it out.

And still being with the NFLPA and
speaking up on behalf of players and

trying to find a solution to the problem
of why and how athletes go broke, right?

We would see, uh, my, my, my rookie
year, my second year, I was an NFLPA

player rep, and that article came out
that talked about within two years of

retirement, 80% of athletes are divorced,
depressed, or bankrupt of NFL players.

And I know some of those stats may be
skewed, but I remember coming in as a

rookie saying, "Man, that's a problem."

And so I played out my career, and I was
getting towards the end, and a good friend

of mine said, "Hey, man, you need to…"

I wasn't necessarily knocking on the
door, but he said, "Hey, I know you.

I know this group called AWM.

You all need to connect because they
see the world in the same way you do."

for people who don't know me, what that
means is, man, they're human-centered.

They see people first, not as commodities
or things to be extracted from, but also

people and places and ways to add value.

And so when I connected with Eric
and, and Brandon, I heard that Zach

was a part of the team, I was like,
"Dude, I played against him for four

years every year, uh, when I-- or
twice a year when I was with Arizona."

And obviously they said Ricardo.

I was like, "Dude, I, I remember going
to his church when I was living in

Phoenix playing for the Cardinals.

I think I even went to his house."

And so once I started hearing more about
the team and thinking about my experience

in the NFL and what I did have, but
also what I didn't have, which is that

integration, that team of people that is
covering everything, taxes, investments,

estate planning, moving, buying a house.

What do I filled out for my form
when I'm about to sign with a team?

Like everything money touches.

And I heard, "Oh, this
team actually exists."

And I heard, "Oh, wow, I could be
a part of the team to help provide

that solution for athletes,"
it became an easy yes for me.

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": Well,
then I had the opportunity to sit in.

Eric's like, "We're gonna hire
this guy in LA, played in the NFL.

He's worked for a different company,"
and got a chance to meet Jeff.

And I'd, I'd known Jeff's name because
he was, you know, he was a big-time

kicker and punter here in Arizona
coming out of, out of high school.

Um, Jeff, the question I would have
for you, particularly as you tell, tell

our audience is, you were working for a
different firm already, where this was

my first financial firm, this was Zach's
first financial firm, this was Sam's.

Like, tell me what was the why for
you uniquely, not just this firm, but

our particular mission to change the
way athletes think about their wealth?

Jeff Locke "The Professor": Yeah, the
funny thing is I interviewed at AWM

before any of you guys knew of AWM, and
they didn't hire me initially, right?

Not

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": Dang.

Jeff Locke "The Professor": was.

Nah, come on, come on,
give me some credit.

Sam Acho "The Mayor": people

Jeff Locke "The Professor":
I was fresh out the NFL.

I had no experience.

They knew about me from what I did
in the NFL, but really it was because

they were so focused on baseball.

They just did not have enough people,
enough of us ready to rock at that time to

truly go into the NFL and make an impact.

They knew they couldn't do it.

So I ended up going somewhere else for
my first three years out of the NFL.

Um, it was pretty crazy during COVID,
helped essentially start another firm.

So I learned so much about the industry, I
had this burning desire to help athletes.

And one thing I learned that a lot
of other companies are set up to help

everyone, and if you get an athlete
client, that's kinda cool, right?

That's the cool thing to have is
like a couple athlete clients that

we wanna help and really brag about.

And I hated it, to be honest.

I hate that part of the
rest of the industry.

So I knew that I wanted to be at a
place like AWM Capital all along.

Sole mission is to help
athlete families, period.

All we think about all day, every day.

took, you know, couple stars to align,
of you guys, to really come to fruition

and us to actually launch this thing and,
see where we are today is kinda cool.

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": Yeah,
that's-- I don't think I knew that, Jess.

That's,

Jeff Locke "The Professor": yeah.

Picture

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach":
you know that, Zach?

Jeff Locke "The Professor": fresh,
fresh out the NFL in my suit, coming in,

walking in the old office, know anything,
thought I knew everything, you know?

And they're like, "Nah, we're good."

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach":
That's crazy.

Well, I got two questions, and I'm gonna
have you guys answer them differently.

So, um, the first one is, I'm
gonna ask you, Zach, first.

W- why serve, and what's your why
behind serving the athlete community?

Zach Miller "The Truth": was that guy.

I was the guy that got to sign a huge
deal, it's the-- it's who I care about.

I was an NFL PA rep.

I think player-- NFL players Have so
much opportunity, but also so much…

It's hard to be tw- in your early 20s
with that kind of money, with that

kind of expectations from family,
with all of that responsibility,

and then you're in the public eye,
you have to perform every Sunday.

There's pressure on you.

And so to be able to work with like myself
that didn't know, you know, how to invest,

how to handle the money things, how to
handle, uh, creating an estate plan, all

those things is exactly who I get to work
with today, and I get to help those guys

just I, just like I was 20 years ago.

And so being able to work with the
guys I care about and the guys that I

want to see succeed, I mean, I think
it's fun every day, and I enjoy working

with, with only really NFL players.

I mean, there's, there's, uh, there's
been opportunities I've worked with

other types of, of professionals.

just not as fun, and it's, it's, it's
where I wanna put my time is with

those, those people like I was that
they're still trying to figure it

out and win that money game early on.

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": Jeff,
I'm gonna ask you the same question.

Why?

Why, why are you so passionate
about serving the athlete community?

Jeff Locke "The Professor": Mine
comes from anger and frustration,

which is literally seeing guys get
taken advantage of and ripped off.

When I was a player, we see it
in headlines all the time, right?

This is a problem, is people
taking advantage of guys,

just point blank, right?

So like I thought the way to
handle that problem and to

help is be the solution, right?

So that's why I'm at a place like AWM.

It's why I do what I do.

Fix the problem, actually see
better results and outcomes for

athlete families, just point blank.

And it's like I wake up thinking about.

It's what I go to bed thinking about
every day, is how do I make the next

generation of us better off than we are?

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach": AWM
exists to, to change the way that

athletes think about their wealth.

Sam, I want you to land the plane.

What does that mean to you?

And when you hear that, what,
what kind of thoughts or feelings

does that bring up for you?

Sam Acho "The Mayor": It brings up
a feeling and a thought of hope.

Oftentimes, when you look at
athletes, people get so excited

about the, the number on the bottom
line flashing on the screen of the

contract that they signed, but they're
not thinking about them as humans.

They're not thinking about their families,
their wives, their kids, them moving.

They're not thinking about, man, they
just got cut or just got traded or

trying to integrate in a new team.

They're not thinking about how taxes
can make a big impact on their future.

They're not thinking about, uh, an estate
tax that they might have to pay if they

make over a certain amount of money.

They're not thinking about retirement.

They just have so many people…

We, I, we had so many people
around us that were just

like, "Yeah, yeah, you did it.

You did it."

And the way to change the culture
sometimes is from the inside out.

It's not having other people
finding new solutions.

It's actually being someone who's lived
it and having a group of people who

have lived the culture, who have seen
the warts, who know it really, really

well, and said, "Hey, we're gonna create
something that it's not brand new,

that we just haven't had access to."

Like, for me, the feeling is hope
man, these are like my people.

Like, I've been in sports my entire life.

Like, I've always loved sports, and
then I happened to go to University of

Texas, and I happened to go to the NFL.

Like I w- in my wildest dreams could
never imagine I would have made it to

the NFL, let alone play nine years.

And even now, since I finished
playing, still get a chance to

be involved on the, on the media
side, but also here with athletes.

For me, I'm like, man, it makes
too much sense to be the solution.

And so when we talk about the
culture specifically, it's this

idea, and Ricardo, you said it.

I'll steal from what you said.

Um, it's almost this idea of formation.

I wanna help form and shape the
next generation of athletes.

if we could help form and shape you at
a young age, now all of a sudden you

understand that you're able to create
value, and then you're able to have a

team of people that can help you capture
it and convert it and continue it.

it starts with that, that
formation and that shaping, and

that's kinda why I do what we…

What I do when we do what we do
is when the light bulb goes off

for an athlete of like, "Oh, I
didn't realize that's how it works.

I wanna learn more

Riccardo Stewart "The Coach":
So I'll close with this.

My favorite athlete growing up was Magic
Johnson, and I love-- I'm a Laker fan.

Um, I love Showtime.

One of the reasons why I liked
Magic was Magic made it look really

fun, and his whole, his whole thing
was to make other people score.

Like, he was the assist guy.

He was always setting people up to score.

And I feel like when one of the things
that I'm passionate about and what all

four of us do and what we do here at
AWM is that we're passionate and w-

yeah, and it's a lot of fun, and our
whole desire is to take the athlete

and set them up to score, and that is
achieving multi-generational wealth.

Um, I'm glad as an audience you
guys took the time to listen to

this to learn more about who we are.

Um, we, we would love to hear from you.

Any questions you have about what is a
multifamily office and how do I, you know,

get to know Zach more, or I have questions
for Jeff or Sam, please reach out to us.

Our number is six zero two nine
eight nine five zero two two.