Meet Fred Zirkle, the 1969 Mr. Irrelevant who passed on the NFL to become a CEO

Key Facts

• He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
• He was drafted by the New York Jets -- No. 442 overall -- and enjoyed a long, fruitful career.
• He chose business as his career, not football, becoming a wealthy entrepreneur and investment banker with a net worth that ranks in the top 5% of Americans.
• (He said he once ran 400 meters in 51 seconds.) While playing for Duke, he was so fired up for a game at Michigan that he broke five face masks in practice, including two of his own, and before a game against Georgia Tech, he delivered a players-only pep talk, during which they decided to ignore the coaches and call their own plays.

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