"When you do a good job for the client, they end their career with a pile of money that will last until the end of their life," Carroll says. "That can be very rewarding."
"I'm going for the knowledge that my client is not going to be the next name-brand athlete to file bankruptcy," says Cole.
In that, Cole has been successful.
His client Verdon retired after three years playing as a pro. While he did not make the big bucks, he was tempted by the money. He purchased a house after signing with New Orleans and "bought a lot of stuff I probably should have waited to do," Verdon says. His wife estimated he was spending $3,000 a month eating out. Compared to other players, though, he "didn't go crazy spending a lot of money." And he was smart enough to know he needed help figuring out how to save when he met Cole.
"It was kinda hard to put money away," says Verdon, who is 30 and has three children and who is now seeking a full-time coaching job. He is grateful he heeded Cole's advice. "He helped me."
He may not have had the kind of career that NFL Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas or Lawrence Taylor had, but unlike those stars, he didn't go broke.