It has been over three years since I last strapped on the pads, laced up my cleats, and buckled my chin strap at Florida State. Just because I haven't been in the public eye does not mean I haven't been staying busy.

After graduating with a degree in Sport Management in the fall of 2005, I spent the next six months rehabbing my beaten and battered body for an opportunity in the NFL and Arena Football League. A few tryouts came my way, but amounted to nothing as I still had a lingering limp in my step. With the National Football League window nearly shut, I decided it was time to move onto other avenues of my life. Writing was and still is a passion of mine and with the football bug still inside the clear pathway was to move onto sports writing. In 2006, Warchant.com and The Osceola gave me an opportunity to write columns, conduct interviews, and give analysis on games from a view otherwise foreign to me: atop the press box at Doak Campbell Stadium.

As most Florida State fans know, I was a fixture in the weight room. If there was a third passion aside from playing football and writing about it, it would have been the day-to-day grind of preparing and pushing my body beyond the limits. As they say "those who can't do, teach," which lead me into personal training and nutrition consulting. Getting the chance to meet, council, and eventually transform a person on the outside, but more importantly on the inside has been the most rewarding self service of my life. Even though I had been blessed with numerous job experiences there was something missing in my life.

Along my journey I came across an amazingly talented woman, Nadia Kamal, who I trained during my personal training stint. She is the owner and principal of the Onyx Group, an award winning, full-service marketing communications agency located in Tallahassee. Through our time spent together slaving away on lunges, squats, bench presses, and stair climbers, she approached me with a job opportunity in her company. I graciously accepted the position of Regional Business Developer.

We specialize in new media, graphic design, rebranding, and creating strategic marketing plans for associations, government agencies, and corporations. My role within the business is to expand our company not only in Tallahassee, but throughout the southeast as well.

2009 has already been an exciting year for us as we were recently named Best Graphic Design agency in Tallahassee as well as Best Marketing agency in Tallahassee. For those in Jacksonville and Orlando be on the lookout for my arrival in your city this spring.

Be sure to visit me at www.onyxcreates.com. If you want to chat about football or set up an appointment to discuss your business plan feel free to send me an email at matt@onyxcreates.com

And last, but certainly not least this off season I am making my return to Warchant. Call it a cameo appearance, but you can certainly expect more written contributions from me in the coming weeks and months.

Talk about it on the

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