SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When 33-year-old Brandon Lloyd retired last year, he didn't just stop playing football. He escaped from the NFL, and all that he was for a decade as a wide receiver for the 49ers, Redskins, Bears, Broncos, Rams and Patriots.
He could have been catching passes from Tom Brady last fall. The year before, Lloyd had 911 receiving yards for the Patriots. Instead of selling moves on cornerbacks, Lloyd began selling steel parts for airplanes.