JO ANN PUGH | Founder
Jo Ann Pugh, Founder of The 50 Yard Line Mom®, is a bestselling author, mentor, and advocate for the health and wellbeing of athletes at all levels. As the founder of 50-Yard Line Mom®, Jo Ann works tirelessly on behalf of families and aspiring professional athletes to improve health outcomes through education and reform.
Jo Ann serves on several Advisory boards, including the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University and FEM-FL (Families Experiencing Managing Football Lives) at Harvard University, Oversight Board for the Black Men’s Brain Health 2022, 2023, 2024 Super Bowl Conference Series at George Washington University, an Advisor to UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare Sports and Social Welfare Initiative, as well as appearing as a panelist and guest speaker at national and regional conferences and media events.
Her bestselling book, The 50-Yard Line Mom: One Mom’s Journey Through The NFL And Beyond, has been called, “a must-have” for parents of aspiring athletes.
Speaker
As an Advisor on Implicit Bias and Health Disparities, an Advocate for Lifetime Health Benefits For Professional Athletes, an Advocate for Post-Collegiate Benefits for College Athletes, an Expert and Educator on the Patient Bill of Rights, and a Trusted Resource for Athletes (and Families of Athletes) Seeking a Sports Career, Jo Ann Pugh has spoken to audiences across the United States.
Jo Ann also presents to major corperations, delivers keynote addresses, and is a frequent guest on expert discussion panels and roundtables.
Jo Ann Pugh Speaking at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 2023
Jo Ann Pugh discusses what to do when reasearch findings paint a discouraging picture.
Watch the full video here.
Best-Selling author
The 50 Yard Line Mom
On a mission to improve the financial, physical, and emotional welfare of players at all levels of their journey, bestselling author Jo Ann Pugh, takes readers into the huddle, sharing insider information on navigating the exciting and sometimes terrifying path to and through professional sports.
As the mother of former NFL player Jordan Pugh–and his “momager” throughout his sports career, Jo Ann gained invaluable insight and access to the inner workings of the wealthiest sports league in history. She shares this insight, along with real stories of her family’s experience in this must-read for parents and their athletes.
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To schedule your Player Benefits workshop call please send an email to info@50yardlinemom.com.
Make That Change: How To Deal with Life After Sports
“A mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child.” All moms know how true this statement is. These days, I am trying to get my son Jordan to stop thinking like an athlete. When you are a college athlete or play sports at the professional level, people cater to...
An Athlete’s Life Cut Too Short
Most young men only dream of playing in the National Football League. Very few see that dream come true, but it did for Adrian Robinson. “A.D.” as he was known played professional football for a total of 22 games. Before making it as a pro, he was a star defender at...
Greg Hardy Joining the Cowboys Sends the Wrong Sign
The Dallas Cowboys are coming under fire for signing Greg Hardy. I don’t blame their critics, but unlike most of them, I have known Greg for a few years. He and Jordan were drafted to the Carolina Panthers in the same class. I was disappointed when Greg was convicted...
Growing Pains: Can Jameis Wilson Buc His Bad Behavior?
You can tell a lot about a company by the employees it recruits. So, when the NFL, specifically the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drafted Jameis Winston it got me thinking about the message it sends. Winston was this season’s number one draft pick. As a freshman at...
A Mother’s Pain
One of the most devastating events that happened to me as a mom and the mom of an athlete was when my son Jordan became ill. It was during his fourth year in the league while he was playing with the Washington Redskins. Jordan was playing well in the pre-season, so...
When Young is Too Young
I am now a LeBron James fan but probably not for the same reasons as most people. While I respect his accomplishments as a basketball player, I came to have a new admiration for “King” James when he spoke out recently about colleges trying to recruit his 10-year-old...