NFL experience taught CFL lineman Frank Beltre the need to be self-sufficient
Football has helped provide Frank Beltre with an education and an opportunity for a professional career, but it’s also taught the CFL defensive lineman a harsh lesson about how unstable and unforgiving the sport can be.
The six-foot-two, 250-pound Beltre began his pro career in 2013 signing with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. Life was good, until Beltre was released four months later.
“Well, after they let me go I hit rock bottom,” Beltre said in a telephone interview. “Some people can go ahead and call uncles or family to help them get back on their feet but that wasn’t the case for me so when I hit rock bottom, I really hit rock bottom.
“I made myself a promise I was never going to be in that position again, I was going to have multiple streams of income no matter what.”