NBA, NFL lockouts helping some players

ATLANTA -- The NBA and NFL lockouts are giving some players a chance to plan for the future after their playing careers are over.

Al Harrington, a forward with the Denver Nuggets, and Rennie Curran, a Tennessee Titans linebacker, spent the last two days at the Pro Athletes Franchise Initiative to learn what it takes to own and operate restaurant chains.

Retired NFL players Tyoka Jackson (IHOP), Zach Wiegert (Dunkin Donuts) and Angelo Crowell (Jersey Mike's) offered advice to a room full of prospective franchisees and franchisors who gathered at Georgia Tech:

-- Understand how a business operates before you invest;

-- Begin networking immediately, and if you've already done so, be more persistent;

-- Maximize efforts by promoting your brand as a player and your affiliation with a pro sports league.