Warren & Jada Powers
Randallstown, MD
Former Occupation: Professional Football Player

Knowledge Is Power
Like many young men, Warren Powers, of Randallstown, MD, dreamed of having a professional football career – and all of the options that kind of life could provide for himself and his future family. In 1989, that dream started to become a reality when he was a second-round draft pick, earning a spot as a defensive end for the Denver Broncos. But five years in, a career-ending injury sidelined future plans for he and his wife, Jada.

“I had everything I’d ever wanted – an NFL career, a great home, a beautiful wife – but I was only living in the moment, not preparing for a future after football,” Warren explains. “All of our goals depended on my earning the same salary for the next five years and we had nothing to fall back on when I was injured.”

The only solution they had was for Warren to finish his college degree to buy some time while they sorted out the rest of their lives together. “I graduated with a degree in criminal justice, but it was clear I wouldn’t be able to earn the kind of money I wanted in order to reach our goals,” he says. “The NFL has a resource office to help players with post-football career prospects and they referred me to Andy Young, a Primerica Representative, who showed me what the Primerica business opportunity could do for me. Andy told me that with some hard work, we could do something special here. I was ignorant about money and I saw the entrepreneurial business opportunity as not only a chance to make money but also to learn how to manage it wisely.”¹

Getting Educated
Five years of a professional football player’s salary had changed their financial circumstances while they had it, but the couple say they had no idea how to make their money last into the future. “I grew up in a tough neighborhood in Baltimore,” Warren recalls. “All of the people I knew were blue-collar workers who needed every paycheck to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. We didn’t have access to knowledge about our finances.”

When Andy showed them The Rule of 72 – a formula that helps you take advantage of time and compound interest to calculate the approximate number of years it will take for an investment to double – it blew them away.² “We were saving money in the bank but if we’d have understood the power of compound interest, our options post-football would have been entirely different,” he says. “That’s why what we’ve been able to do for the communities we grew up in is so important.”

The Impact
Nearly three decades later, Warren and Jada say it’s witnessing the impact of the financial education they provide to clients that motivates them to keep going. “We’ve been with Primerica for 28 years and have clients who started out with us now able to retire the way they want to because they trusted us to help them invest their money,” Warren reflects.³

“Just recently, we had an older couple come to us who had some extra money left after selling their home. We were able to set them up with a Primerica solution that fit their needs. I’ll never forget, the wife asked me why she had never heard of this and it struck me – Primerica is the only company that goes out into people’s homes and gives them this important financial education. The reason why people still don’t know basic financial concepts is because we’re not talking to enough people!”

The Gift of Time
Helping families in their communities has paid dividends for the couple – and not just through the financial rewards that can come from building a successful business. More important than money, they say, it’s the gift of time their success has granted to them.

“The biggest thing Primerica has given us is the ability to take care of our family,” said Warren. “Primerica has given us the freedom to be there when our family needs us. When our three children were young, I was able to coach their sports teams and be there for every game. We were able to travel together and experience the world. And I was able to spend years of quality time with my mom so that I had no regrets when we lost her last year. Maybe I would have made the same kind of income doing something besides Primerica, but I know I wouldn’t have had that time.”

Empowered for Success
Warren and Jada have come a long way from the uncertainty they felt when Warren was injured to where they are today. Together, they are building a business that can be a lasting legacy for their children – and they’re proud of what they’re doing in their community. “I’m so grateful for the Primerica Opportunity,” said Warren. “We empower people through financial literacy and that’s one of our greatest thrills.”