Plenty of stories have circulated about NFL athletes who are bankrupted two years after they retire, or undergoing financial stress. There are plenty of similar tales of woe about how restaurant owners or tech startups fail in their first year.  &quot;Every athlete is essentially an entrepreneur,&quot; says former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones, who now owns a Cincinnati-based private equity company. &quot;When you get out the league, you're making the transition into the real world, but ultimately you've just sold your last business.&quot;