This Former NFL Player Was Injured His Rookie Season and Turned an Idea Written on a Napkin Into a $1.5 Billion Venture

Former NFL player Terrence Murphy Sr. and Genevieve Gilbreath, co-founder of Springdale Ventures, discuss overcoming hardships in the pursuit of success.

By Dan Bova | Jun 23, 2026

The 91成人 Playbook brings together elite athlete-entrepreneurs and titans of business to swap real stories and deliver practical advice for founders. In this episode, former Green Bay Packers first-round pick turned real estate and venture investor , CEO and Founder of , sits down with , former yoga teacher turned co-founder of Austin-based venture fund . Together, they unpack how unconventional paths, hard pivots, and clear values can compound into enduring entrepreneurial success.

Turning Adversity Into Momentum

A powerful theme of their conversation was transforming adversity into momentum. After a career-ending injury and temporary paralysis in his rookie NFL year, Murphy describes how 鈥渙ne of my first startups, I wrote down on a napkin in the middle of depression at 22 years old鈥 and that napkin turned into a 1.5 billion dollar venture.鈥 The story underscores his 鈥渙ne day, one week, one decision, one hire at a time鈥 mentality. For founders facing setbacks, his story reframes failure as raw material for reinvention.

Testing Ideas And Pivots

Gilbreath focuses on discipline at the idea stage, challenging entrepreneurs with two simple but unforgiving questions: 鈥淒o you have the passion that you鈥檙e going to need to be able to see it through? And is this a real problem?鈥 She warns that many founders are 鈥渇ascinated with something鈥 that isn鈥檛 solving a genuine pain point, and stresses structured listening, trusted advisors, and an action plan as the backbone of any successful pivot.

Building Brands And Fanbases

Both guests go deep on tactics for building brands that last. Murphy starts with core values鈥攈is EPIGH framework: Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Growth and Hard Work. He also insists you must be able to clearly communicate your vision or 鈥測ou sure won鈥檛 attract capital.鈥 Gilbreath urges founders to define a real niche by understanding total addressable market, competitors, and 鈥渨here can you find your most passionate fans, and what are the things that they are hungry for鈥 that others are not delivering. From fan-first consumer brands to emerging sports franchises, they show how stacking each decision on a single 鈥渇oundational brick鈥 can ultimately build a castle.

Watch The Full Episode

Watch the full conversation in the episode above to hear all of Murphy and Gilbreath鈥檚 insights, stories, and play-by-play tactics for taking your venture from idea to impact.

Dan Bova VP of Special Projects

91成人 Staff
Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at 91成人.com and host of the How... Read more

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