For a football player, the gridiron is not the only avenue that is worthy of their talents anymore. Glory in the NFL hasn’t always been on the cards for many. But that doesn’t mean other opportunities aren’t looking up for them. In recent years, a new sport has become a home for college football athletes. It’s not just become a shelter: this new playing field is also a test of their best skills. Here, football players don’t put on cleats. There are no field goals or touchdowns.

During pro days across colleges, it’s usual to see a starry lineup of reps from all 32 teams watching players. On some occasions, there’s a twelfth man who sticks out like a sore thumb, also there to recruit players. These reps work for NASCAR teams, a sport that has opened up new doors for football players. Guys whose playing careers saw an abrupt end due to unfortunate incidents, or simply those who couldn’t make a good knock in the NFL, are reputed crewmen for NASCAR teams. One of them is Marshall McFadden, who is making a splash in NASCAR with Trackhouse racing as a Jackman. He is part of racer Ross Chastain‘s team.

McFadden is a known name in South Carolina State, where he was named the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Week in the 2008 season. He went on to be signed in the NFL, but failed to make the playing rosters with the Steelers, Raiders, and Rams. That dream was never fulfilled. But the former LB still had the fire in him to be part of some action. Now, things get serious when McFadden races against the clock to lift a 3,400-pound car when it parks at the Trackhouse Racing pit stop. Here, the former LB works with Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1.

He told CFB journalist Stephanie Otey, “You’re talking about doing the impossible task. We’re trying to change four tires, full tank of fuel. We try to do that in eight seconds. And how you do that, you go get the top-notch athlete.” McFadden, in his 2008 season with the SCSU Bulldogs hauled in 88 tackles and 5 sacks, for which he earned the MEAC honor. At NASCAR, however, he regards himself to be a “quarterback,” the leader of the pack. The environment is almost as demanding as football, where every second counts.

“It starts with me and it ends with me. So just having the IQ and understanding when the car should come up and when it should come down, making sure everybody’s doing their job fast, but make sure they do it precisely. And if you’re able to do that with your five-team, with the chemistry, you’ll be successful in the pits,” Marshall McFadden added. He joins a lot more NFL players who have now made the pit stop their home. Former Washington LB Jeremy Kimbrough is a part of the Trackhouse Racing pit crew. Jordan Ferguson, who was signed as an UDFA by the Seahawks, also works for the same pit crew.

NASCAR has opened up a dedicated link with football, knowing how crucial players’ talents are in the time-centric sport. It gives hope and meaning to athletes who couldn’t quite build a football career by making use of their skills on the field.

NASCAR is the next big hub for football athletes, says Marshall McFadden

NASCAR teams are not just a second wind for football players. Pit crew roles demand experience in pressure and time-crunch situations. And this is where football players actually have an edge over other people vying for the same role. Ferguson, for example, is fairly new in the arena, being part of the 2023 NFL draft. But NASCAR is where he has found a new use for his skills. “I want to be an͏ inspiration͏ to those that are younger than me who may͏ be in the same ͏situation as myself, never knowing they’re ͏going to join NAS͏C͏AR,” he said at an interview. Ferguson came to the sport by way of the Drive for Diversity program, of which McFadden is also a product.

The program aims to conduct combinations of their own where they test the skills of college and pro athletes, who were unable to build a career in the NFL. It extends to people from minority classes, and also looks to employ women. “For a long time, you didn’t have this type of pit crew. A lot of the pit crew guys were – they was mechanics,” McFadden told Otey. “But now you’re starting to see these big time athletes come in – in pit crew. Now you’re starting to see more, like you reported me. So, each week, you’re starting to see more and more people, like, understanding about the pit crew,” he added.

“Now that you’re having all these athletes, you’re starting to see more and more, and we’re starting to get a little [praise]. I don’t think we’ll ever have much [praise] as drivers, but people are starting to understand who we are, though,” McFadden said. All footballers look for a new way of life if they can no longer feature on the gridiron, but they always long to be part of the same high-octane action. Some take to coaching, some take to media, and others go elsewhere. For McFadden and many more footballers, they found a sense of belonging at pit stops in NASCAR.