Former Heisman Trophy Winning QB Finds Second Pro Career in National Pickleball League

Eva Geitheim | May 1, 2024

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Twenty-eight years after he hoisted the Heisman Trophy as the star quarterback for the Florida Gators before heading to the NFL, Danny Wuerffel is embracing his next professional sports venture — pickleball. Wuerffel has joined the National Pickleball League, a league for players aged 50 or older, in its second season.

In 1996, Wuerffel was reaching the heights of his athletic career, throwing for 3,625 yards, 39 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He became the Heisman trophy winner, and led the Gators to a National Championship win over Florida State.

Wuerffel went on to become the New Orleans Saints fourth-round draft pick in 1997, but his NFL career was far from as magical as his college football one. Wuerffel spent three seasons with the Saints before bouncing around a few other teams in the league until his retirement in 2004.

While that retirement appeared to be the end of his career as a professional athlete, Wuerffel has found a new outlet in the National Pickleball League. Wuerffel initially got into pickleball in part because it was a sport he was able to play with his son during the COVID-19 pandemic. Turns out, this opportunity was a new shot for him to play a professional sport again.

"As a competitor, to have something to shoot for, to compete in is always engaging for me," Wuerffel told Dink it Over.

Beyond just the competitive aspect of the new league, Wuerffel became attracted to the game for the same reason as countless other players — the community of the sport. Thanks to the small court dimensions and atmosphere, pickleball has become popular in large part because of the sport;'s social aspect. 

"Former athletes love to be part of a community and they love to compete so pickleball affords that to a lot of guys ... it's a very accessible sport for players as they get older," Wuerffel said.

Wuerffel is just part of the exciting growth of the NPL, which added six new teams heading into year two. What does make Wuerffel unique is his experience as an NFL quarterback. While it's common to see former tennis players come over to pickleball, Wuerffel has found some of his old quarterbacking skills have translated to his new profession.

"Kind of like football, you can be the best quarterback in the world but if you're not also really smart and making really good decisions it doesn't matter," Wuerffel said. "There's so much strategy, a lot of people agree it's like playing chess as you get to a higher level of pickleball where everybody can make the same shots. Figuring out what is somebody's strength and weakness and can you develop a strategy to play more out of their weakness."

This strategy and the mental side of the game of pickleball is what Wuerrfel has found transfers the most from his former time as a quarterback. With many of these pro-level players all capable of making the same kinds of shots, decision-making and strategy are the best ways for players to set their game apart from opponents.

"It gets very, very strategic," Wuerffel said. "A lot of quick thinking, a lot of weighing of risk and reward at every moment, which is like playing at quarterback. Do I throw it longer or shorter, do I take the sack, do I throw it away? Do I try to run? There's always a risk or reward to every decision."

"You sit in the pocket as a quarterback, you're taking in all this information, you're waiting until the last second until someone crushes you," Wuerffel added. "Then you have to make a very last-second decision and commit to it. In pickleball, the longer you can wait, take in information, and still commit to a decision is a very effective skill that a lot of the quarterback position translates well."

Wuerffel will take these strategic measures and decision-making skills from his days on the 360-foot gridiron to the 44-foot pickleball court as he competes in the NPL for the first time. Wuerffel does have prior professional pickleball experience having played Major League Pickleball, but he will now transition to playing in the NPL. Wuerffel will play for the Denver Iconics, who drafted him in April as part of their 14-player roster.

He will look to help the Iconics put together a much better second season than their first. In 2023, the Iconics finished second-last in the NPL with just six wins and 14 losses. In comparison, the top teams in 2023 — the Austin Ignite and OKC Punishers —  each had 14 wins and six losses.