Thompson has foot in NFL, business worlds

Cody Thompson is staying in shape in case the NFL calls, but he's also planning ahead. For the first time in many years, Thompson is not playing football this fall. The Huron High School graduate had tryouts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders during training camp, but wasn't offered a contract. "I've never had a non-structured fall since like the seventh grade, probably going back to 2007," he said last week. "This is the first time I can do whatever I want. Last year kind of set me up for it. I wasn't on a team for a few months and it stressed me out. I told myself mentally, 'if it happens, it happens.' I can still play, but I'm not going to stress over something I can't control." Thompson, 29, has been around long enough to understand that the NFL is a business. Injuries can present an opportunity at any time, so the wide receiver is ready. "I'm still training and everything," he said. "I'm still in shape in case I get a call. My training hasn't changed. I still work out four days a week. I don't think that will ever change. As long as my knees are good that's something I want to do." Thompson has played six seasons in the NFL with four different teams. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by Kansas City in 2019 and has been on four different practice squads. He played in five games for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 and seven in 2023 (he missed the entire 2022 season with an injury). Thompson also played in one game for the Buccaneers last year. "People will always tell me how amazing it is what I've done, but it was different for me and my eyes, when there's more you want to do," he said. "I'm wired and still in it, but it's a new feeling for me. If it's time to hang it up in the next year or two, I'm not going to be that 34-year-old guy chasing something that's not there." For Thompson, it's the NFL or bust. "I'm happy. If something comes, it comes. If not, I'll re-evaluate after the year," he said. "I still love football and love to play, but I'm not going to the UFL or Canada. I've had people ask me about that, but it's not something I want to do at this point." Thompson, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide receiver who also contributed on special teams, has taken 30 career snaps on offense and 143 on special teams. He has one career reception for 10 yards — in a Monday night game for the Seahawks in 2023 — and returned one kickoff for 21 yards last year. Before his NFL career, Thompson was a star player at the University of Toledo. He had 181 receptions for 3,312 and a school-record 30 touchdowns for the Rockets. Thompson, who played long enough to be vested in the NFL's retirement plan, launched DayOne Private Capital in May with a business partner. The business provides short-term financing for real estate investors. DayOne is mainly focused on Ohio, and Thompson said he's working on a project in Huron. "I've always been a finance and real estate guy and I never wanted to work in a 9-to-5 setting," he said. "That style didn't appeal to me. I can do this from home or from a beach in Mexico — anywhere." Thompson will be inducted into the Huron High School Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday. That event will provide another chance to add to a memorabilia collection that is displayed at the home of Thompson's parents. "I've got a few things, but when I build out my man cave I'll snag some of that; there's plenty to go around," he said.