Commanders linebacker earns MBA to prove business acumen

ASHBURN, Va. – The Washington Commanders brought linebacker Bobby Wagner on board the last two years because of his ability and leadership on the field, and for his determination off of it that has helped him carve out a Hall of Fame career.

Every step of the way, Wagner has earned everything he’s received, and nothing was given before it was proven he was deserving. In his life outside of football, the Commanders’ leader wants to make sure he follows the same path, which led him to pursue his MBA at Howard University, a journey he completed this year and plans to walk at the school’s graduation ceremony in May.

Wagner chooses learning over leisure

Being an active businessman, NFL player, and college student sounds challenging, even for the man who does a little bit of everything for Washington. For Wagner, however, he says it’s all a matter of perception. “Challenging? Not really. I mean, I feel like guys play video games and stuff during the season. I just choose to learn."

"It's just funny because if I would have went back and told my younger self that I would do this, I would have never done this. I would have been surprised because that was the one thing I did not like in college was going to school and playing ball, but I think being intentional about what you want is something I learned."

What Wagner wants is to continue his growth in the world of business, both while he’s still playing and after. But he wants there to be no mistake that, however successful he becomes in his post-NFL life, it was all done with purpose, and every bit of it earned.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Proving he did the work

"I feel like sometimes when you come from playing football and going to the business world, a lot of people feel like the reason why you're able to get into those spaces is because of people that you know, and they feel like we skip steps or they feel like we haven't done the work,” Wagner said. “And so a lot of it is me showing how serious I am and wanting to cross over into that space and to show I have done the work and I've done the work through challenging times that most people wouldn't have done."

He doesn’t deny that his NFL success has opened doors and opportunities for him in the business world. But being in rooms full of people with MBAs, he wanted to be sure that his resume as a businessman stacked up to anyone's. And he didn’t choose just any school to do it with.

Howard University was founded in 1867 and is the only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to hold an R1 designation, signifying that it conducts the highest level of research activity and is recognized as a Doctoral University.

This places Howard among institutions such as Harvard and MIT, which commit substantial resources to research, making it a center for groundbreaking discoveries and advanced knowledge creation.

Howard culture inspires growth

"I just think the culture, being around the culture, being embraced, seeing people that look like you, inspired to do not just business–I was in business, but I saw doctors, I saw lawyers, I saw journalists, I saw all different spectrums. And it was cool to see a lot of people that look like you that have these different fields."

Many players are known mostly for their achievements on whatever playing surface they made their names on, but their sports careers are such a relatively short period of their overall lives.

"I think my whole thing is pushing more than just sports,” Wagner says. “I think growing up, all I saw was entertainment and sports as an avenue to, I guess, make it per se. So part of what I do off the field is exposing young men and women to things I wasn't exposed to. I was only exposed to football, basketball, soccer, rapping, things of that nature, so trying to expose more of the youth to Google and Amazon and Microsoft and tech companies and VCs and private equity and all these different things that is a new world to a lot of people."

Part-owner of the Commanders, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, is known by most as a legendary NBA star. But he’s also carved out an equally impressive business presence. Wagner and Johnson have had many conversations over the years, and it's clear Wagner has taken cues from Johnson, using his lessons to become a more rounded person beyond the player.

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