National Franchising League Spotlight: Angelo Crowell

Angelo Crowell was drafted to the Buffalo Bills in 2003, but his connection to Jersey Mike’s began well before that. Utilizing his “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” mindset, he began to invest in the sandwich franchise he discovered in high school soon after his professional debut.

In an interview with 1851 Franchise, Crowell weighed in on the NFL, advice from his brother and mentors and an audible putting him in the franchising world.

He quickly realized that franchising and business would be a second career in his first year in the NFL. His older brother, Germane, played professional football and advised him to find a transition plan in case the game ended today. Crowell looked at what he could do, whether it was coaching or Wall Street.

He has always wanted to be a businessman. Ever since he was young, he found a way to make money. Whether it was cutting grass or washing cars, he had an entrepreneurial spirit inside of him. He remembers a conversation with his mother about being an entrepreneur. She explained that his dad was an entrepreneur even being a pastor. He grew the church’s community. So, he realized it at a very young age and began to build and create disciplines.

Crowell chose to invest in Jersey Mikes because it was the first franchise he invested in. It’s a pretty unique story to be honest. He grew up in North Carolina and has a big family.

His mom never cooked during the week because there were so many of us. During his junior year in high school, a Jersey Mike’s opened up down the street and he fell in love with the product. Since he played football, the owner and he connected very easily because of his past with the sport.

One day while he was eating there, he asked him how much it costs to own a Jersey Mike’s. He said it was about $200,000. At that point in time, it seemed very expensive.

Fast forward three to four years later, he found himself in the NFL. He still loved the food and had the proper expenses to invest.

He currently owns 12 locations in three states – Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. There are also four in development. At this point, he doesn’t plan on investing in other companies. Jersey Mike’s has a proven model which can be taken to scale.

The NFL taught him how to focus. In order to be good at whatever you want to do, you need to focus on a skillset. That focus can be transferred into the business world.

Growing up, he had several mentors. His high school coach told him that he was more than a football player and that definitely stuck with him. His college coach explained that the NFL just provides a head start in life. He has always kept that in mind as well. Additionally, when he decided he wanted to franchise with Jersey Mike’s, the brand hooked him up with Bill Mates, a franchisee in Scottsdale, Arizona. They got along because of his love for sports and he showed him how to be successful.

He advises college athletes who don't see pro sports in their future to create a plan—a fail-safe plan, a “what if” plan. They need to ask themselves what if you don’t’ make it to the next level? A lot of younger athletes don’t go through this specific scenario because it’s tough to think about. They float around and figure it out as they go.

He believes that grit is necessary in both sports and the business world. It is simple. One must have to stay ready because you don’t want to waste time getting ready. If you need to get yourself ready, it might lead to missing an opportunity. In the NFL, backups are always told they are one play away. As a backup, you must prepare as if you are a starter.

Again, stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. That is grit.