As an NFL running back, Latavius Murray has a special knack for knowing when to charge full speed ahead and when to turn around to get the job done.
For the past several years, Murray has taken the skills and mindset he's acquired in networking and applied them to a passion project he's been thinking about since he was a kid. “I had a dream to build a community center in my hometown of Nedrow, New York,” Murray said entrepreneur. “And when my best friend passed away in 2016, I brought his legacy and that dream together by starting Jon Diaz Community Center Foundation.”
Murray, who earned his MBA at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management in 2020, says his plan is for the center to become “a hub of opportunity and community wellness” in his city and surrounding areas. To date, he and the JDCCF team have secured land donations from Aldis Corporation and nearly $5 million in local and state government funding.
We spoke with Murray about everything from the details of his passion project, to what drove him to get his master's degree, to his advice for other entrepreneurs who dare to dream big.
What was the reason you wanted to build this community center in your town?
Growing up, I was lucky enough to go to a center in several cities where young children and teenagers could gather together in one place. We had the game room, we had the basketball court, but I think what was also cool was that there was a computer lab and we did educational things like learning how to write a letter. That experience has always stayed with me and it was something I wanted to give back to my community, so we got started Jon Diaz Community Center Foundation.
And can you explain the name of the foundation?
Jon Diaz was my best friend. We met in kindergarten when we were six years old. Our relationship grew and grew. We played football together at school. And when I was called, we were ready every day. He was only my right hand. In 2016, he was tragically killed in the city center during an altercation with someone else. I got that news when I was in my senior year at Oakland. It was Thanksgiving night. It's one of those moments you'll never forget. It just rocks your world. And as life went on, I decided I wanted to do something big and positive in his name.
Renderings of the Jon Diaz Community Center
Many athletes start thinking about business opportunities after they retire. But you went to business school while playing. What prompted that decision?
I've always been inspired by guys like Michael Strahan. He went from acting to being one of the most prominent faces on TV and doing amazing things in business. And you think about Larry Fitzgerald – he's part-owner of the Suns. I just respect and appreciate that he was able to take advantage of the opportunities and network while playing. So in 2016, I had injuries and I was looking back at the previous ones and thought, “Man, what if one of these injuries kept me out of football forever? What would I come back with?”
I just went through college and high school, educationally. So this was an opportunity to not do that – it was a chance to take responsibility for myself. I decided to go get my MBA at Syracuse in business administration with an entrepreneurial focus. I wanted to learn how these guys in the business world were making money compared to how I was making mine. They are using their minds to do these great things. I just thought it was really cool.
What did your classmates think when an NFL running back came in?
Some of them knew nothing about football. (laugh) And then for some others, when they figure out who you are — boom — you immediately want to chat offline about the NFL and stuff. But then that wears off and everyone gets to work. I have built many relationships going through that program. I tell people all the time that one of the best things I got out of the program was the people I connected with.
How does professional football's star power translate to meetings on the field?
I think people assume that because I'm in the NFL, I have all these relationships and these connections and it's just easy. And maybe when I started this nonprofit, it was easier to get this meeting or get on the phone with this person – but then you still have to sell the vision. You still have to sell the product, you know? And so, if I wasn't prepared, being a professional athlete didn't matter. It's about having a plan and being able to communicate it to get investors on board.
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What's more nerve wracking, walking out of the tunnel on game day or walking into a boardroom to play?
Definitely going into a room to open up an investor. I'm used to playing on Sundays. This is what I have done all my life. I am out of my comfort zone in the business space. It's a scary thing when you have something you believe in and you're trying to convince someone else to believe in it.
Any parallels between playing soccer and running a foundation?
There are many things that carry over between sports and business, but the biggest one is preparation. If I go into a meeting and I feel very prepared, I feel good regardless of the results. “Hey, we went out a little bit today, but we did our best.” You can hang your hat on it. But when you walk into a meeting or go to a game and think you could have done more or weren't ready? I can't live with those missed opportunities.
Do you remember the first “yes” you got?
The first one, I will never forget. Aldis donated land. They were the first to believe in my dream, my vision. It felt like I really did something outside of football for the first time. It felt really good.
What is the next phase in this?
I formed a foundation and we got a board and got all the right people together. One of those partners is ICAN, an organization from Utica, New York. I have a lot of respect for their CEO Steven Bulger. We're not there yet, but Steve says the rate at which we've been able to secure land and raise money is unprecedented in his 20-plus years of experience. So it's like, man, there's a future for this outside of Nedrow. Something we can replicate in other areas of the country. We're not counting our chickens before the eggs hatch, but it's exciting to think about the bigger possibilities.
And what is your advice to others looking to make their dream projects a reality?
The biggest thing is about to begin. One thing I learned about getting the MBA is that many people sit there trying to figure out when is the perfect time to start. And the answer is that it will never be perfect, you just have to start. I have had this dream since I was a child. And just eight years into the NFL I decided to go for it. But once I decided to start, we haven't stopped. Just go ahead and dive in, dive in.