Talking Old School: Guest, Doug Plank.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Doug Plank is a former safety who played for 8 seasons from 1975-1982. Doug is a master of all trades: from Burger King franchisee to broadcaster to football coach, and many other crafts in-between.

How He Prepared for Life After Football

"I always tried to prepare for the day football was over. Every offseason when I was with the Chicago Bears, I managed to make more money than I did in the regular season. I knew I could survive and have success after football. I did that by continually pushing myself in the offseason: ‘What could I do? What skill could I acquire? What license could I go out and get?’"

“I knew I could survive and have success after football. I did that by continually pushing myself in the offseason: ‘What could I do? What skill could I acquire? What license could I go out and get?’”

"I had a real estate license, I had a loan origination license, I was a contractor, I could build buildings, I went and took a health license, etc. I wanted to prepare for what could be a quick ending of football, and mine was. I happened to suffer a spinal concussion with the Chicago Bears my eighth year, and it kept me from playing. So, I leaned back on those things I had prepared myself for."

"In 1982, the Chicago Bears set me up to sign autographs for a Burger King restaurant, and I met the franchisee. He gave me instructions on how to become a Burger King franchisee, which I ended up doing for a total of 12 years. Even before my career was over, I was an approved Burger King franchisee. I had a wife and two kids - there had to be something after football. Being an owner-operator of Burger King allowed me to use all of those skills I had developed in the offseasons. I used my real estate license, my contractor license to build the building, the loan origination license to get financing, my insurance license to get liability insurance on my property, etc."