Welcome to Beyond the Legacy
On behalf of myself and everyone that played a critical role in making this vision a reality, I would like to officially welcome you all to Beyond the Legacy, a platform for former professional athletes to share their stories, lend their voice to a cause, and mark their impact beyond their sports career.
These stories will not center around game-winning shots or career milestones of professional athletes; the features will explore human-interest stories that will allow the reader to enter a professional athlete's mind. Whether you are an avid sports fan or not, there are themes and takeaways from each story that may be relatable and inspirational. I look forward to publishing more stories to engage the new Beyond further the Legacy community. It would be greatly appreciated if you can all take the time to follow, subscribe, and share.
To our new community of followers, I would like to thank you all for taking the time to visit Beyond the Legacy. To everyone that took the time to read, share, tweet, follow, and tag, I truly appreciate the support, and without you, none of this would be possible. My story, “Returning with a Purpose,” sheds more light on why I returned to sports after nine years and the significance of the passion project and platform that is Beyond the Legacy. For nine-plus years, I was blessed to work in the sports industry around professional athletes, specifically basketball legends. While it’s nine years later since I walked away, there’s a sense of clarity around the storytelling and inspiration I would like to share. Between existing relationships, newly formed relationships, and future relationships, I look forward to creating—thanks to this platform—the topics, themes, and stories that will organically evolve.
I want to send a special thanks to everyone that took the time to sit down with me and contributed to the first three featured stories: “Life Is about We,” “Playing Chess with the Game of Life,” and “Minor Adjustments in Life”:
To Tamika Catchings, thank you for being an inspiration for the last 14 years and continuing that legacy into 2018 and beyond. I greatly respect each family member's time to sit down with me and contribute to Tamika’s story. Starting with Tamika, her sister Tauja, brother Kenyon, her father Harvey, and her mother, Wanda. Thank you all for your patience and positivity to make this a remarkable feature of Tamika’s impact beyond her professional sports career. I feel the story will challenge others to create their own impact and contribution to society in their own unique way. I admire your dedication toward empowering our next generation, always making time for family, and pushing yourself and others to make a difference in society.
To Isaac “Bud” Stallworth, thank you for being a great friend and mentor. I will always cherish our traditional March talks about college hoops, KU basketball, and bracketology 101. We’ve shared many conversations over the years, and I’m glad we were able to sit down to share your story. While snippets of your story may have been shared through local publications, we were able to take a deeper dive into “what prepared you for the unexpected chapters in your life.” I can see your story speaking to countless people in various stages of their lives. To your wonderful wife, Robin, thank you for all your contributions to this feature and for taking the time to connect with me to finalize this amazing story on Bud.
To Greg Minor, thank you for being the big brother I never had. We’ve known each other for 12-plus years, and I appreciate your support and belief in me throughout the years. I feel your story is long overdue, and I’m glad you chose to sit down with me to share the many layers of your life that proved in the end that “yes, you can” overcome adversity and the unexpected odds life throws at you. Between your self-reflection from your college years to overcoming depression, your willingness to be open about everything we’ve discussed will hopefully speak to countless people reading your story.
I’m proud to announce I have some exciting features, short stories, and much more lined up, all coming soon! I welcome all professional athletes, past and present, to feel free to reach out if you have a story to share that centers around your legacy beyond sports. If you are aware of a local athlete or former professional athlete(s) impacting the local community, please let us know. I look forward to creating a community of positivity, inspiration, and collaboration toward a greater cause.
Respectfully,
Drew Stephens
Founder & CEO
Beyond the Legacy
