Bronson Kaufusi, the son of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end turned long-time Utah and BYU coach Steve Kaufusi, was born with turf, pigskin and Gatorade in his blood.
A defensive end chosen by Baltimore in the third round of the 2016 Draft out of BYU, Kaufusi spent his rookie season on injured reserve after breaking his ankle during training camp, and then contributed as a backup in 2017.
And then less than two weeks before the following season kicked off, he was waived by the Ravens, signed by the Jets, and placed on their practice squad.
"I knew (former Jets defensive tackle) Sione Po'uha, he actually married a relative of mine, and so I was really excited," Kaufusi said. "I came in and just wanted to be a spark. Whatever they wanted me to do, I was happy to do it and just contribute. Honestly, that was my main goal."
Ricocheting on and off the practice squad during the 2018 season, Kaufusi was promoted to the active roster prior to New York's Week 14 game in Buffalo, and took the field in New York's next game against Houston.
"I was excited to get after it. Being able to go out there and play because you never know when that time comes," Kaufusi said. "You're practicing every single day as if you're active. You have to be always prepared. I felt like every day in the NFL, you have to be able to show the team why you belong.
"I had to show that I could play, that I could go in and make a difference. There's just so much you can't control. But what you can control is your attitude and your effort. And how locked in you are.
"It's just taking everything like an opportunity. So for me, I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to keep getting better and working on my craft during practice, so when next time comes, I'm ready to go.'"
After playing in the first three games of the 2019 campaign, including as a starter in the opener against Buffalo, the Jets chose to put Kaufusi back on their practice squad.
"I think that some things happen on the contract side of things, and so that's when they moved me down to the practice squad," he said. "I felt like a lot of players, they go through something like that and they might keep their foot off. But that's the last thing you want to do, just because you want to be able to improve.
"So no matter what's going on, whether you're starting or if you're a backup, when you're on that field, you should be getting better in whatever role you're in."
Making his home in Provo, Utah, where his mom, Michelle, is the mayor; Kaufusi's role these days is as Hilary's husband and Taika, Kaleia and Maia's dad.
He's also an investor relations and marketing specialist for the Harris Investment Group, a company which specializes in real estate joint venture partnerships and syndications.
"I was an investor first with (the founder and CEO) Jason Harris. I always wanted to be in real estate, but as an NFL player, I couldn't only do it myself. So I needed to find a really good teammate. We got in touch and I ended up investing with him," Kaufusi said.
"But part of it was, 'Hey, if I invest, I need you to teach me how to do this.' He was one the first guys I had talked to that was willing to teach me, and I talked to quite a few people. And so in the offseasons, I was learning and investing in real estate with Jason, taking a day off of training to meet with him every week."
In addition to his responsibilities with Harris, Kaufusi is paying it forward by educating athletes around the country on real estate and helping them understand how to use it to their advantage.
"I'm kind of living the dream, honestly, of being able to help out a lot of guys in the real estate space," Kaufusi said. "I do a lot of educating pro athletes, NFL guys, helping them understand how to be set up for life after the game. Really, how you set up while you're playing the game.
"I love doing that, and helping high school athletes with NIL. Educate the players, the parents, the kids, and other siblings. See if we can help on that front so when they get their contracts in college and the NFL, they're more prepared. It's kind of the opportunity of a lifetime. So hopefully, we all do a good job of it. Make that difference."
And when Kaufusi sees that he's making a difference in someone's life…
"Oh, my gosh, it's incredible," he said. "I know that aha moment that they're having is going to affect generations after them. And if their kids play sports or end up making it to the league or whatever, they're going to have a stronger foundation for them and springboard moving forward.
"I want to do things that provide a lot of purpose and meaning to life. And so providing education and answering questions about real estate and business and things away from the field, I love it. It's honestly why I wake up every morning excited to meet with people and help them understand a little bit more about different opportunities that are out there.
"As a former player, we should be doing a lot to help these younger players. I spent a lot of time in that space and I feel so bad when I hear horror stories of athletes getting taken advantage of. I'm like, I've got to do something about this. I've had a lot of great mentors. I've got to be able to help."
