The current generation saw Michael Jordan’s stardom, thanks to The Last Dance documentary. But the people who watched him live during that era understood how MJ’s popularity transcended beyond any sport. One such person was a former NFL veteran with allegiance to Carolina. Later, the Chicago Bears veteran spoke about His Airness‘ kind gesture.

“You know he used to get me tickets for games. I used to go watch him play, so you know we had a pretty good relationship,” said Donnell Woolford to co-hosts and former NFL players Roman Harper and Charles Tillman. The Chicago Bears selected Woolford as the first-round pick and #11 overall. From his draft in ’89 to ’96, he played for the Bears, so he oversaw Michael Jordan’s play for the Bulls and the Chicago White Sox.

MJ took his first retirement in ’93 after the three-peat and decided to pursue a path that his father wanted him to do. The 6x NBA Champion loved the sport of baseball but had to pump breaks on that dream to pursue greatness in the NBA. To spend some time away from the spotlight, Michael Jordan agreed to a Double-A ball team affiliate with the White Sox. Yet, his affiliate team, Birmingham Barons, drew over 467,000 fans.

Speaking about fans, Woolford also shared his best rivalry of Michael Jordan and the Bulls on the NFL Players’ Second Acts Podcast. He said, “When they were playing the Pistons, it’s a very physical game. He kept doing his thing, they was knocking him down, he was getting back up.”

However, before signing his contract with the White Sox, Jordan voiced his consideration of a career in football. In David Halberstam’s book Playing For Keeps, Jordan discusses a football career. He revealed trying out professional football then, which to him, was a greater challenge. Further, he made a mention of dicussing his career in NFL to his friend Richard Dent, who was Chicago Bears defensive end back then. Even during his childhood, Jordan played football along with basketball and baseball. But when it came to making a call, Jordan went with baseball.

But coming back to Woolford’s description, another NFL player, who had links with Carolina, shared his special connection with the Bulls #23.

Michael Jordan and his NFL connection

In 1999, The Jordan Brand signed Randy Moss, and the legend is still part of the brand. This year, the company that had $7 Billion in sales and signed Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was the overall number two pick in the draft last year. Similarly, Donald Andre Bly has been part of the brand since 2004.

“I’ve never bought kids shoes for my kids, ever since 2004, I’ve been a part of the Jordan brand family.” Bly gave credit to the executive vice president/senior advisor of the Knicks, William ‘Worldwide Wes’ Wesley for the signature deal. He added, “Me being a Carolina guy, he felt like it would be best for me to be in the brand.”

Michael Jordan’s brand recently also made history, as they signed the first Nike football NIL athletes. Zion Branch and Zachariah Branch of USC agreed to a multi-year deal with The Jordan Brand, as per Nick DePaula. So, no matter the young superstar or old, MJ and his stardom is a global phenomenon. That’s what the NFL veterans experienced and explained in the podcasts.