From NFL fullback to Certified Financial Planner®—empowering students to speak the language of money.
The Path from Professional Athlete to Financial Educator
Jedidiah Collins, CFP®, is a former NFL fullback, Amazon best-selling author, adjunct professor, and Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) with a passion for financial education. His journey to financial empowerment didn’t begin with a textbook but with personal experience—after being cut 12 times, he persevered to become the #1 fullback in the NFL.
While living the dream of playing professional football, Jed faced a harsh reality: he was unprepared for the financial opportunities that came with success. Determined to change that, he pursued his CFP® certification while still in the league. After transitioning from football, he gained real-world experience in wealth management but soon realized his true passion wasn’t in helping people end their financial journey—it was in empowering those who had never spoken the language of money to begin theirs.
To fulfill this mission, Jed founded Money Vehicle, an education technology company providing schools and students with a roadmap to financial freedom through an engaging and accessible financial literacy curriculum.
Today, Jed is a passionate advocate for financial awareness, helping professional athletes capture their dreams while also guiding young professionals to start theirs.
How Money Vehicle Started
I walked into the NFL as a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite being an Accounting major at Washington State, I was unprepared for the questions and complexities that came with my first paychecks. This problem led me to an idea of building a class that would teach professional athletes.
The 2010 off season I became a student of money and began preparing for my Certification in Financial Planning®’. People are always impressed by this but honestly, pro athletes get a lot of down time in off season.
Once I began understanding some of this language around money, I was excited to share with others. What better place to start than back at my alma mater WSU teaching student athletes. By the suit and PowerPoint I was just beginning to understand how to workshop this subject with students.
My job in the NFL was to lead the way so that others can find what they are looking for. In many regards this is a reflection of what Money Vehicle does today and where the pseudonym ‘Fullback of Finance’ began.
Could not be more proud that in 2014 I passed all of the requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner®. Took several years and two attempts at the Estate Planning portion but this was a reflection of what I wanted to become – an expert on the subject of money!
Honestly this is just a cool picture, from the guy on the ground being NFL Defensive MVP to my beautiful flowing locks. A moment I will never forget and my last year playing a game I loved.
You can be the judge, but the first title of what I wanted to do was “Broke to Ballin” playing into my athletic background. With some feedback and clarity that my vision was bigger than athletes we continued to test names, but this was the first gathering of lessons and exercises for
Taking almost a decade of in person workshops and culminating it into a workbook style delivery for students to be able to walk through the first 10 steps they need to take with their money. Becoming an ‘Amazon Best Seller’ and having my name sit amongst the legends Ramsey, Orman, and Kiyosaki was a moment I will never forget.
It takes courage to start a business and a little craziness to keep going. No doubt Covid challenged a lot of what I wanted to do but despite the roadblocks we officially started this adventure and gave up my day job of being an advisor. Many people still think I am an advisor, but Money Vehicle is pure education.
The idea and all the work came to fruition as Money Vehicle began being used in classrooms to tech money. There was endless red tape from administrators and fire drills from educators, but we were teaching students where they were – High School Classrooms.
A lifelong educator and expert in digital curriculum and standards, Theresa leads the Train-the-Trainer Program, Teacher Success Support Team to empower educators and drive scalable, effective teacher training and support initiatives.
Money Vehicle is a true curriculum, meaning there is a cohesive message and consistent messenger. Our Money Vehicle analogy comparing a road trip to your financial journey makes each chapter of the program digestible and provides clarity for the student to see how all of this will come together.
Going back to New Orleans was a dream come true as I got to establish a partnership 10 years after I left to bring Money Vehicle to schools nationwide. Also proud that through the NFLPA and other organizations I was able to teach over 1,000 athletes which was the original dream.
Money Vehicle has become the most engaging and easy-to-use financial literacy curriculum in the United States, empowering educators and students nationwide. As we continue to lead the charge in financial education, we are thrilled to unveil our new logo for 2025, representing our commitment to innovation and impact.
Jedidiah Collins brings a unique blend of real-world financial expertise, personal growth lessons, and NFL grit to every stage. His speaking engagements are not just presentations—they’re experiences that leave audiences with actionable takeaways and a renewed sense of empowerment.
Whether speaking to students, professional athletes, educators, or corporate teams, Jed tailors his message to help audiences understand:
Popular Speaking Topics:
Choices for Your Paycheck
Breaking down the 5 choices you have for every paycheck you receive and establishing a cash management system.
Introducing debt as a tool and then breaking down how credit cards impact your credit score
Providing foundational principles to begin investing, exploring how to start investing, and creating an investment philosophy to follow
Understanding why we are taxed, how we are taxed, and what you can do to mitigate your tax liability
Providing a high level overview of what goes into calculating your net worth
Walking through the idea of your primary residence and first investment opportunity
Why Audiences Love Jed:
Relatable stories from his journey in the NFL
Real-world financial advice tailored to the audience
Engaging, energetic, and actionable presentations
Empowers individuals to take their first steps toward financial freedom
Ready to inspire your audience with a powerful message of financial empowerment and personal growth? Jedidiah Collins offers customizable presentations for:
Money Vehicle is a Proud National Partner of Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy
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