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In This Episode
What does a retired NFL pro do to clear his head and find direction and peace? Well, if the NFL pro you’re talking about is Joe Hawley, the answer is to grab your dog, get a van, and hit the road! The RV Small Talk Podcast team had the chance to meet Joe when he came by Princess Craft RV to pick us his new Arctic Fox truck camper. We got his story, heard his “now” and wonder about the amazing future ahead of him. Join us!
Episode Sponsor: The Härt Collective
The Härt Collective
After achieving the greatest successes in life – fame, fortune and everything that goes along with accomplishing a dream, there is a big piece that’s missing. What to do when it suddenly all goes away? As Joe explained, after 16 years playing on a team with a common goal, receiving coaching and instruction, and then over night it’s gone. What do you do next? The NFL offers a great amount of services for players, and more in the recent years with a focus on continued player health beyond playing. There still lacks a focus on second career placement, life after the NFL, is perhaps avoided or just relocated to the bench to address later. For many athletes, later comes faster than they expect.
The Härt Collective founded by Joe Hawley, creates the cornerstone or the most important piece that is missing, community. There’s something special about these athletes, to be able to achieve that level of success is an accomplishment. The Härt Collective is an exclusive community built for high-achieving, motivated former male professional athletes who are focused on reaching their highest potential by finding purpose outside of athletics.
Finding Freedom with guest Joe Hawley from Manvandogblog!
Have you ever thought of throwing in the towel, selling all your worldly belongings, and hitting the open road in a van? Well, maybe not just any old van! And we’re partial to trailers and campers, but our new friend Joe Hawley from Manvandogblog. Joe stopped by to pick up his newest van, which isn’t a van at all, but a Princess Craft RV! PJ and Lindsay talk football, yep! Along with Joe’s incredible career and time past retirement, his amazing experiences with his dog, Freedom, as they hit the open road. All the way through to Joe’s COVID quarantine love story and Joe’s growing family! Listen now on your favorite podcast streaming platform (links above!) and visit our RV Small Talk Podcast website, for all of our episodes!
Joe Hawley’s Youth and Football Career
If you are unfamiliar with Joe Hawley’s incredible and storied career, we had a chance to discuss from his early days in sunny Orange County, California playing football in high school, being drafted into the NFL, his amazing career with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, retirement from the NFL and his life changing decision to donate his belongings and sell his car, and buy a conversion van to see with his own eyes, ‘that world hidden behind a screen [on a mobile phone].’
Phew, that was a lot! And with that, he left to see the state and national parks in person, meet new friends, and ask the yearning question hidden deep in the psyche of human beings, ‘Who Am I?’. When you are the best at something and rise to the top, only to stop, there must occur a level of ‘ego death’, as Joe calls it, where in a phoenix event or rebirth occurs and a new foundation can be built upon and cast a new dream into the sea of hope and opportunity.
Manvandogblog: What’s Next?
A new favorite blog and podcast of the RV Small Talk show, also super fun to say: Manvandogblog – one more time Manvandogblog! – would become Joe Hawley’s way of chronicling his journey and transition from the NFL, both along the roadways of America, and internally seeking the ultimate answer. As much as we would love to find that answer ourselves, we were excited to hear that Joe’s hitting the road once again.
This time though with a few new additions to the van, which is also in the shape of an Arctic Fox truck camper. We’ll cover more on Joe’s adventures entering the truck camper life in future episodes! For now, we wish him and the family the best! Steady travels as they set out to explore the vastness of life and love along the roadways of Texas, Utah, Colorado and beyond. In addition to his newest addition to the family, and a heart-touching COVID love story, Joe also hinted at a book in the works, which we are excited to read and share when it is available, too!
Featured RV: Northwoods Arctic Fox
