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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Where Are They Now – Chris Bonner
11/17/2019 7:55:00 PM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Even while starring as a receiver at Florida Atlantic University, Chris Bonner planned for his future.
Bonner envisioned himself in the NFL for at least three years. And through shrewd money management, he'd have the capital to start a storage business, sustaining him much longer.
But the meticulousness of Bonner's plan didn't lead to fruition. Bonner wasn't selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, he tore his hamstring in mini-camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his agent "abandoned" him, ignoring all calls and texts.
"All that stuff was already planted into my head," Bonner said of his post-FAU goals. "And now that it's not actually occurring, I'm hitting the reset button, like, 'What do I do?'"
NFL teams weren't calling, and Bonner wasn't interested in the Arena Football League. He was lost when thinking about his future after years of clarity.
Bonner trained with elite players prior to the draft – the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and NaVorro Bowman – and felt he was on their level. So, he struggled to accept that his opportunity to prove it was slipping away.
"I knew that I was talented enough to play," Bonner said. "And my peers knew that as well … They would see me and (were) like, 'Yo, what team are you with?' And I'd say, 'I'm not with a team.' And they'd look at me like I had two heads."
Realizing his football career was likely over, Bonner returned to his mother's home in Tampa, Florida, and started looking for other jobs. But the results were no different. Bonner submitted four applications a day and heard one of two responses each time: he was overqualified – because of his bachelor's degree – or didn't have enough professional experience.
So, Bonner worked two part-time jobs – substitute teacher by day, nightclub security guard at night – while he waited for a full-time position. The wait took longer than he anticipated. Two years too long.
"It was a struggle those two years," Bonner said. "And then I started thinking, 'What's important to me?'"
He decided on schedule flexibility, physical activity and a working environment with camaraderie – like he had in football.
That criteria piqued his interest in becoming a first responder; he earned certifications in EMT and Fire I and II in Summer 2011. In January 2012, he became a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The job was a great fit for Bonner. He wasn't strapped to a desk for eight hours a day, five days a week – which would have been "like death to me" – and had an opportunity to make a difference in the community.
"I could be someone to bridge that gap between people and law enforcement," Bonner said.
Bonner was done with football, but not the rigorous training that came with it. He kept himself in shape by working out at his apartment complex gym and Crunch Fitness.
Bonner's friends saw his routine and were interested, so he showed them how it's done.
"I didn't think in my head I was training them," Bonner said. "I was just working out with them, because I used to do that all the time; we had to work out all the time as football players. So, it just came naturally to me."
Crunch Fitness' trainers, however, saw it differently. After watching Bonner lead a workout at their gym, they approached him and asked if he wanted to become a trainer there. After some initial reluctance, Bonner accepted the offer.
The days were long – he worked the night shift at the Sheriff's Office and the morning shift at Crunch – but Bonner was a natural in his new position. Despite training for only 20 hours a month, he was second in sales.
Since Bonner's playing days, he planned for the future, the next big opportunity. And he saw one in fitness.
"I'm thinking like, 'Man, I'm doing all this work and they're taking 40 percent of my income,'" Bonner said. "I was like, 'I want the whole thing.'"
In 2014, Bonner did the math for how much it'd cost to start and maintain a gym of his own. The numbers looked promising, largely because of his frugality: Bonner lived off an $18,000 annual budget since becoming a deputy, in hopes of one day starting a business with the rest.
At a get-together that November, Bonner reunited with his friend and former high school basketball rival, Brandon Powell. Both wanted to open a Tampa-area gym. Three months later, they did exactly that together, starting Way of Life Fitness in February '15.
Bonner stepped away from a full-time position at the Sheriff's Office for a chance at his dream: being a business owner. Four years later, that decision is still paying dividends.
"All my co-workers looked at me crazy, and now they ask me how I do what I do," Bonner said. "And that's part of being 100 percent confident in yourself. And I feel like that's what we had to have (with FAU football)."
Bonner accounted for 13 touchdowns and over 1,500 total yards at FAU. But what often garnered him the most respect among his teammates wasn't on the stat sheet; it was his blocking ability. Bonner wasn't afraid to crack down on a 280-pound defensive end if that meant an open running lane.
He saw blocking as "just doing my part." By giving that effort, though, Bonner found that his teammates were more apt to getting him the ball. He sees a correlation in his current job.
"If I'm helping people achieve their results, they're going to be healthier," Bonner said. "Their friends and co-workers are going to see them, and then I'm going to get referrals. Because they feel better about themselves. They fit in that dress or fit in those pants now; they're going to the doctor and they have all their cholesterol levels, etc., are lower than they were before. And so, that makes me feel good that I helped them improve their life, and then they're going to naturally share that with everyone else. And then that business is going to come back to me."
Bonner might not have reached the NFL, but that didn't deter him from his post-football goals. He learned how to persevere through adversity like that at FAU, and it's carried him long after he left.
"The mindset was transformed at that time, and I feel like that affects my mindset now," Bonner said. "There's that no-quit factor in you, there's the ability to handle adversity. I feel like it directly translates to real life, everything I did in that program."
Bonner envisioned himself in the NFL for at least three years. And through shrewd money management, he'd have the capital to start a storage business, sustaining him much longer.
But the meticulousness of Bonner's plan didn't lead to fruition. Bonner wasn't selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, he tore his hamstring in mini-camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his agent "abandoned" him, ignoring all calls and texts.
"All that stuff was already planted into my head," Bonner said of his post-FAU goals. "And now that it's not actually occurring, I'm hitting the reset button, like, 'What do I do?'"
NFL teams weren't calling, and Bonner wasn't interested in the Arena Football League. He was lost when thinking about his future after years of clarity.
Bonner trained with elite players prior to the draft – the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and NaVorro Bowman – and felt he was on their level. So, he struggled to accept that his opportunity to prove it was slipping away.
"I knew that I was talented enough to play," Bonner said. "And my peers knew that as well … They would see me and (were) like, 'Yo, what team are you with?' And I'd say, 'I'm not with a team.' And they'd look at me like I had two heads."
Realizing his football career was likely over, Bonner returned to his mother's home in Tampa, Florida, and started looking for other jobs. But the results were no different. Bonner submitted four applications a day and heard one of two responses each time: he was overqualified – because of his bachelor's degree – or didn't have enough professional experience.
So, Bonner worked two part-time jobs – substitute teacher by day, nightclub security guard at night – while he waited for a full-time position. The wait took longer than he anticipated. Two years too long.
"It was a struggle those two years," Bonner said. "And then I started thinking, 'What's important to me?'"
He decided on schedule flexibility, physical activity and a working environment with camaraderie – like he had in football.
That criteria piqued his interest in becoming a first responder; he earned certifications in EMT and Fire I and II in Summer 2011. In January 2012, he became a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The job was a great fit for Bonner. He wasn't strapped to a desk for eight hours a day, five days a week – which would have been "like death to me" – and had an opportunity to make a difference in the community.
"I could be someone to bridge that gap between people and law enforcement," Bonner said.
Bonner was done with football, but not the rigorous training that came with it. He kept himself in shape by working out at his apartment complex gym and Crunch Fitness.
Bonner's friends saw his routine and were interested, so he showed them how it's done.
"I didn't think in my head I was training them," Bonner said. "I was just working out with them, because I used to do that all the time; we had to work out all the time as football players. So, it just came naturally to me."
Crunch Fitness' trainers, however, saw it differently. After watching Bonner lead a workout at their gym, they approached him and asked if he wanted to become a trainer there. After some initial reluctance, Bonner accepted the offer.
The days were long – he worked the night shift at the Sheriff's Office and the morning shift at Crunch – but Bonner was a natural in his new position. Despite training for only 20 hours a month, he was second in sales.
Since Bonner's playing days, he planned for the future, the next big opportunity. And he saw one in fitness.
"I'm thinking like, 'Man, I'm doing all this work and they're taking 40 percent of my income,'" Bonner said. "I was like, 'I want the whole thing.'"
In 2014, Bonner did the math for how much it'd cost to start and maintain a gym of his own. The numbers looked promising, largely because of his frugality: Bonner lived off an $18,000 annual budget since becoming a deputy, in hopes of one day starting a business with the rest.
At a get-together that November, Bonner reunited with his friend and former high school basketball rival, Brandon Powell. Both wanted to open a Tampa-area gym. Three months later, they did exactly that together, starting Way of Life Fitness in February '15.
Bonner stepped away from a full-time position at the Sheriff's Office for a chance at his dream: being a business owner. Four years later, that decision is still paying dividends.
"All my co-workers looked at me crazy, and now they ask me how I do what I do," Bonner said. "And that's part of being 100 percent confident in yourself. And I feel like that's what we had to have (with FAU football)."
Bonner accounted for 13 touchdowns and over 1,500 total yards at FAU. But what often garnered him the most respect among his teammates wasn't on the stat sheet; it was his blocking ability. Bonner wasn't afraid to crack down on a 280-pound defensive end if that meant an open running lane.
He saw blocking as "just doing my part." By giving that effort, though, Bonner found that his teammates were more apt to getting him the ball. He sees a correlation in his current job.
"If I'm helping people achieve their results, they're going to be healthier," Bonner said. "Their friends and co-workers are going to see them, and then I'm going to get referrals. Because they feel better about themselves. They fit in that dress or fit in those pants now; they're going to the doctor and they have all their cholesterol levels, etc., are lower than they were before. And so, that makes me feel good that I helped them improve their life, and then they're going to naturally share that with everyone else. And then that business is going to come back to me."
Bonner might not have reached the NFL, but that didn't deter him from his post-football goals. He learned how to persevere through adversity like that at FAU, and it's carried him long after he left.
"The mindset was transformed at that time, and I feel like that affects my mindset now," Bonner said. "There's that no-quit factor in you, there's the ability to handle adversity. I feel like it directly translates to real life, everything I did in that program."
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