As an NFL running back, Latavius Murray he has a special knack for knowing when to realize full forward speed and when to show to get the job done.
Over the last few years, Murray has taken the skills and mindset he acquired on the gridiron and applied them to a project he’s had in mind since childhood. “I had a dream of building a community center in my hometown of Nedrow, New York,” Murray said Entrepreneur. “And when my best friend died in 2016, I combined his legacy with that dream by starting a company Jon Diaz Community Center Foundation“
Murray, who earned an MBA from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management in 2020, says he plans for the center to grow to be a “hub of opportunity and community well-being” in and around his hometown. To date, he and the JDCCF team have secured land donations from Aldis Corporation and nearly $5 million in local and state government funding.
We talked to Murray about the whole lot from the details of his passion and what led him to pursue a master’s degree to his advice for other entrepreneurs who dare to dream big.
What was the reason you desired to build this community center in your hometown?
Growing up, I used to be lucky to go to a center a few towns away where young children and teenagers could meet in one place. We had a game room, a basketball court, but I think what was also cool was that there was a computer lab and we did educational activities, like learning the best way to write a letter. This experience all the time stayed with me and was something I wanted to provide back to my community, so we began Jon Diaz Community Center Foundation.
Can you explain the name of the foundation?
Jon Diaz was my best friend. We met in kindergarten when we were six years old. Our relationship grew and grew. We played football together at school. And when I used to be drafted into the army, we met almost every day. He was simply my right hand. In 2016, he tragically died in the city center during an argument with one other person. I received this message when I used to be a senior in Oakland. It was Thanksgiving Eve. It’s one of those moments you will always remember. It just rocks your world. And as life went on, I made a decision I desired to do something big and positive in his name.
Visualizations of the Jon Diaz Community Center
Many athletes begin to think about business opportunities after retirement. But you went to business school while acting. What guided this decision?
I’ve all the time been inspired by guys like Michael Strahan. He stopped acting, became one of the more famous faces on TV, and did amazing things in business. And you think about Larry Fitzgerald – he’s part owner of the Suns. I just respect and appreciate that he was in a position to make the most of opportunities and make connections while playing. So in 2016 I got injured and looking back at the previous ones I believed, “Man, what if one of these injuries took me out of football forever? What could I rely on?”
I just went through college and highschool, educationally. So it was a probability to not do it – it was a probability to take responsibility for myself. I made a decision to pursue an MBA from Syracuse in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. I desired to learn how these guys in the business world made their money in comparison with how I made mine. They use their minds to do these wonderful things. I just thought it was really cool.
What did your classmates think when an NFL running back walked in?
Well, some of them didn’t know anything about football. [Laughs] And then for others, when they realize who you are – boom – they immediately need to talk offline about the NFL and so on. But then it passes and everyone gets back to work. I have built many relationships through this program. I tell people all the time that one of the coolest things I got out of the program was the people I connected with.
How does the power of a skilled football star translate into matches on the pitch?
I think people assume that because I’m in the NFL that I have all these relationships and connections, and it’s just easy. And possibly when I began this nonprofit, it was easier to make an appointment or call that person – but you then still have to sell the vision. You still have to sell the product, you know? So if I wasn’t prepared, being a skilled athlete didn’t matter. It all comes all the way down to having a plan and having the ability to communicate it to draw investors.
What’s more nerve-wracking: leaving the tunnel on match day or entering the conference room to play on the field?
I definitely walk into the room to get an investor. I got used to playing on Sundays. This is what I’ve been doing all my life. In the business space, I’m out of my comfort zone. It’s scary when you have something you think in and you are trying to persuade another person to consider in it.
Any similarities between playing football and running a foundation?
There are many things that mix sports and business, but the most significant thing is preparation. If I go to a meeting and feel really prepared, I feel good no matter the results. “Hey, we didn’t make it today, but we gave it our all.” You can hang your hat on it. But when you walk into a meeting or game and feel like you would have done more or that you just’re not ready? I can not live with these missed opportunities.
Do you remember the first “yes” you heard?
I’ll always remember that first one. Aldis donated the land. They were the first to consider in my dream, my vision. It felt like the first time I had really done something outside of football. It felt really good.
What will probably be the next stage?
I established a foundation, we got a board and brought together the right people. One of those partners is ICAN, an organization based in Utica, New York. I have a lot of respect for their CEO, Steven Bulger. We have not reached an agreement yet, but Steve says the speed at which we have been in a position to secure land and raise money is unprecedented in his 20-plus years of experience. So it looks like there is a future beyond Nedrow. Something we will replicate in other parts of the country. We don’t count our chicks before the eggs hatch, but it’s exciting to think about the greater possibilities.
What is your advice for others who need to make their dream projects come true?
The most significant thing is to begin. One thing I learned while earning my MBA is that many people wonder when is the best time to begin. The answer is that it’s going to never be perfect, you only have to begin. I’ve had this dream since I used to be a child. It wasn’t until I used to be in the NFL for about eight years that I made a decision to go for it. But once I made a decision to begin, we didn’t stop. Just dive, dive.