Former NFL defensive back Marcus Trufant, who spent 10 seasons playing cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, continues to stay active in retirement with business interests including self-storage. During his final season in 2012, Trufant became connected to Extra Space Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) and third-party management company. The relationship has grown into an acquisition and development partnership, according to the source.
Trufant became interested in self-storage from talking with friends and fellow players, and believed it could be a good investment without requiring a large staff. He eventually sold a property to Extra Space and was invited to the REIT’s Salt Lake City headquarters to discuss a partnership, the source reported.
“You can’t do everything on your own,” Trufant told the source. “You’re not going to be Superman. You’re not the strongest guy on the field all the time, and you’re not the fastest guy on the field all the time. So, I think that transitions over to business. You need some business partners with you. If you don’t have somebody you can lean on, eventually you’re going to burn out. So, that’s been my biggest thing that I’ve had to learn.”
Trufant majored in communications and broadcasting at Washington State University and has co-hosted a podcast called “The Barbershop” since 2014. He retired from the NFL in 2013 after being cut during the preseason by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also launched a mobile car-detailing business in 2012 that is widely used by Seahawks players.
Extra Space owns or operates 1,427 self-storage properties in 38 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 960,000 units and 107 million square feet of rentable space.
