Nate Boyer, co-founder of Merging Vets & Players, explains how his organization fosters smoother transitions for combat veterans and athletes.
Professional football may have just closed another season, but former NFL player, Green Beret and community leader Nate Boyer is the guest on this week’s American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Boyer, who joined the Army in 2005, did several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as completed various Joint Command Exchange Training missions in Israel, Bulgaria and Greece.
After playing for the Texas Longhorns, Boyer played in 39 games with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. In 2012, he received the Disney Spirit Award at the ESPN College Football Awards, which is given to the most inspirational figure in college football.
Boyer combined his passions for the military community and sports by co-founding MVP, which stands for Merging Vets & Players. MVP was the subject of an American Legion Magazine story and video in 2018.
“We bring together combat vets and former professional athletes to help them find purpose and identity again when the uniform comes off,” he said on the podcast, which was recorded during last month’s Student Veterans of America national conference. “Combat and playing a professional sport are very different. But the amount of sacrifice it takes to become elite, the camaraderie, the brotherhood and sisterhood, all of that is the same. Unfortunately so is the transition out of the uniform and losing that identity.”
Also on the podcast, co-hosts Jeff Daly and Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado also discuss The American Legion’s demand for improvements to be made at Walter Reed. This follows a message from American Legion National Commander Paul E. Dillard, which noted, “The military of 2022 should not expect its members to live in housing that hasn’t been adequately renovated in decades.”
And stay tuned after the interview with Boyer for a don’t-miss Rapid Fire segment on stories of interest to the military and veterans community.
This episode is among more than 110 Tango Alpha Lima podcast for veterans, servicemembers and others. All episodes are available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on iTunes, Stitcher or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available for viewing at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima