Former Ohio State All-American scores in commercial real estate market
Just days after being cut from the Cincinnati Bengals and retiring from the NFL in 2009, former Ohio State University All-American Mike Doss was at a crossroads. At 28, Doss had no clear direction as to what life would look like outside the game of football.
While some remember him as a standout Buckeye defensive player and a key member of the 2002 National Championship team, Doss was burdened with the pressure many athletes face upon retirement: how to redefine their identity.
"I basically put my hands up and was like, 'Man, I'm burnt out,'" Doss said in a recent interview. "This thing is stressful, just not knowing your next paycheck or your next move and being able to provide for my family. The economy was down and everything was down.”
For nearly nine months, Doss tried to map out what the next phase of his life would look like. Instead of training throughout the summer to prepare for a grueling 16-game regular pro season, Doss sought out opportunities that aligned with his passions, finally settling on marketing and sales.
The Canton native returned to Columbus and took up jobs in medical sales, where he sold medical implants and assisted surgeons with operational equipment for Zimmer Biomet and worked for Johnson & Johnson as a product manager.
While he enjoyed working in sales, Doss said he always had an affinity for real estate. The 39-year-old had rented out subsidized and Section 8 housing, but was often restricted from bigger deals due to his scattered work schedule.
In the fall of 2019, Doss decided to make the transition to real estate full-time after meeting Bob Weiler and his son, Skip, who head the commercial real estate giant The Robert Weiler Company.
"I was getting to a place where I wanted to make a larger investment, and then, once I crossed a certain threshold, it would become my lifestyle," he said.
Set to graduate with a master's degree from OSU's Business of Operational Excellence program in December 2019, Doss shadowed Skip Weiler for months to gain more insight into the corporate real estate market.
Doss received his real estate license and began working for the Robert Weiler Company in March, where he's quickly become a bright spot in the office.
"The important things is he wants to learn and has experience selling," Bob Weiler said. "I said if you can sell to doctors, you can certainly sell to entrepreneurs."
Weiler said Doss has added a "calm and gentle approach" to the office and is already closing deals and generating high-profile leads.
"He's fit in beautifully with the rest of us," he said.
Following a quarterback's example
Former OSU and NFL quarterback Bob Hoying made a similar transition to commercial real estate. After six seasons in the league, he partnered with Brent Crawford to form Crawford Hoying in Dublin, where he guides the company's $750 million in new development business.
Like Doss, the former third-round pick was thinking about life after football following his final season in the NFL in 2000.
He began investing in properties during his playing days, setting the ground for a second career that's spanned 20-plus years. Still, Hoying said he was saddened by the thought of leaving the game he loved and having to start a new career.
"Even though I had an avenue, there's a point where you realize your football career is over with," he said. "You go through mild depression and then it's all over; you're still trying to find what's next in life."
Having had the same experience, Hoying said he's proud of the strides Doss has made and is confident he will be successful in his new role.
Family rules
Since working under the Weiler family, Doss says he's embraced the importance of growing in true business and expanding his brand to establish a legacy outside the game of football, one he can pass on to his wife, Jasmine, and three daughters Cadence, 3, Jordan, 6, and Mariah, 8 and younger brother, Anthony Kirk Jr., 18.
"It afforded me a good lifestyle, but I wanted more time with my family ... I decided to go all in, so that was it," Doss said.
Doss said he's looking forward to the challenges that come with commercial real estate, especially with him being one of the few minorities in the business. But knowing there's a family atmosphere at the Weiler Company, there hasn't been overwhelming pressure to learn on his own.
"Having that team around me has made a world of difference, versus being an individual agent trying to find my way," he said.
But Doss said the initial move to real estate wasn't without its struggles. He and others have faced the same challenges surrounding COVID-19, which has gravely affected the economy and prompted local businesses to shut down their offices and shift to virtual work spaces.
Still, Weiler said the three-time All-American has had early success due to his past experience in sales and connections as a local fixture among residents and die-hand Buckeye fans.
Like former OSU football player and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, Weiler said Doss' name garners the same attention from prospective buyers.
"I hope and pray that added value is that I'm a local," Doss said. "One of my good friends calls me the small-town celebrity.'
Doss credits his wife for supporting him through the various obstacles and shifts he's made in his life and career.
"She held it down and gave me the support to search for something I liked," he said of Jasmine. "The opportunity to look hard and soul search and pray spiritually so God can point me in the right direction.
"She was the rock even when she didn't want to be."
Jasmine, 39, who's known Doss since they were both 12, said she's remained by his side in the face of adversity. During times of uncertainty, she gives him positive reinforcement and challenges him to further pursue his passions. And while the real estate industry is a large undertaking, she's confident her husband will continue flourishing in the new role.
"Where we come from, you're always behind the 8 ball," Jasmine Doss said. "The first expectation is that you're not going to make it, that you won't be successful and if you do anything other than that it's a surprise. I think that's always going to be a driving factor behind everything he does."
As he transitions to another phase in his personal life, Doss said he's focused on building a legacy so his daughters and brother won't have to struggle like he did.
"I'm just going to continue climbing that ladder of hard work, education and perseverance to really build something for myself and my family, so hopefully my daughters won't have a need."