Athlete Mindset for Entrepreneurs - NFL Linebacker Maema Njongmeta

The Total Entrepreneur: Mind, Body, Spirit · Aug 28, 2026 · 49m

If you want to understand the athlete mindset for entrepreneurs, there's no better teacher than someone who went undrafted, made an NFL roster anyway, and is now building an investment portfolio in his spare time.

Maema Njongmeta is a linebacker for the Carolina Panthers heading into his contract year. Born in Cameroon and raised in Texas and Illinois by immigrant parents (his mother a Fulbright scholar, his father an epidemiologist), Maema went undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2024 despite a standout senior season, and made an NFL roster anyway. He also holds both a finance undergrad and an MBA…