Nate Boyer has never been one to take the easy road. A former Green Beret who later suited up for the NFL, Boyer has built his life around challenge, resilience and purpose. Today, as a filmmaker, entrepreneur and co-founder of Merging Vets and Players (MVP), he continues that mission—helping veterans and athletes navigate life after their uniforms are retired. His path, unconventional at every turn, is what makes him the perfect fit for the cover of our inaugural Veterans in Sports issue.
Boyer’s story begins not with football or film, but with a sense of duty. After volunteering in Darfur, he felt called to serve in a deeper way, eventually enlisting in the U.S. Army Special Forces. As a Green Beret, he deployed to multiple combat zones, learning the discipline, teamwork and grit that would later shape his post-military life. “The military was just searching for purpose,” he recalled. “I wanted to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves and be part of something bigger.”
When his service ended, Boyer once again set his sights on an unlikely challenge: football. Despite never playing the game growing up, he walked on at the University of Texas and eventually earned a spot with the Seattle Seahawks. For him, the decision wasn’t about pursuing fame—it was about refusing to live with regret. “Sports was more like a childhood dream,” he said. “After combat, I didn’t want to live with regrets anymore.”
That pattern—choosing the hard path, chasing the next mountain to climb—has defined his life. “Maybe the one thing all those experiences have in common is the challenge element,” he said. “I love pushing myself.”
Nate Boyer speaking at the MVP Awards & Benefit Gala in Dallas, alongside Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg. Photo: GLENDA COTTLE
Transition Challenge
As he pushed himself, Boyer also became a voice for others navigating transition. He understands the uncertainty veterans feel when leaving service and searching for what’s next. Many, he said, expect the red carpet to be rolled out for them. Reality, though, is harsher.
“Nobody really owes us anything,” Boyer said. “You’ve still got to earn it.”
He urges veterans not to underestimate the transferable skills they possess. “In the military, you learn teamwork, sacrifice, following orders and stepping up when needed,” he explained. “That all translates. But people get too fixated on having the exact same type of job title. It doesn’t always connect—and that’s okay.”
For Boyer, sports became a natural bridge from the military. The locker room, with its camaraderie, structure and shared identity, felt familiar. “Athletes look up to veterans and vice versa,” he said. “There’s a mutual respect. It’s probably the closest thing to military culture you’ll find.”
Nate Boyer alongside MVP Dallas Staff: USMC veteran Martha Morrison and Army veteran Bill Johnson at the Sporting Clay Classic in Dallas. Photo: GLENDA COTTLE
Building MVP
That parallel eventually inspired him and FOX Sports analyst Jay Glazer to co-found MVP in 2015. The nonprofit brings together active-duty military, veterans and professional athletes – groups often celebrated for their service or performance yet left searching for identity after their careers end.
“We’re recreating that locker room and community,” Boyer said. “So you have somebody to call, someone who understands you.”
MVP now has nine chapters across the country, with more in the works, as well as virtual programming. Members gather weekly, sweating through workouts before sitting down in huddles for peer-to-peer conversations. “It’s just people that are like-minded and get you,” Boyer said. “We’re there to support one another.”
The results have been life-changing. Boyer has seen veterans and athletes who were once homeless, battling addiction or on the verge of giving up entirely turn their lives around. “Some of them were living in shelters after the military and are now thriving—working, starting families,” he said. Others, he added, were close to taking their own lives. “Now they’re out there chasing their dreams. At the end of the day, we all just want to belong.”
Nate Boyer attending an MVP Chicago Community Workout at Bears Fit with Program Manager Oscar Kush and Staley Da Bear, the Chicago Bears’ official mascot. Photo: MVP
Storytelling & Service
Even as MVP grows, Boyer has expanded his storytelling through film. During the pandemic, he produced and starred in MVP, a feature that explores the struggles veterans and athletes face after leaving their professions. The project, filmed under challenging circumstances, has continued to gain recognition. He’s now directing a documentary on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
“The storytelling stuff is best suited for me,” he said. “It’s something I really enjoy and something you can do for a long time.”
Storytelling, for Boyer, is another way of service. It gives voice to those whose stories might otherwise go untold, shedding light on resilience, sacrifice and redemption.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
True to his restless drive, Boyer has also ventured into business with 8 Primal, a Texas-based meat company that sources and ships products locally while supporting American farmers. “It’s about supporting our own,” he said. “If you have an idea, something you care about, just go for it. Find people to join you along the ride.”
For him, the venture represents another lesson for veterans: the next chapter doesn’t have to mirror the last. “It doesn’t have to directly relate to what you did in the military,” he said. “Life is short—if you made it back, it’s important to chase your dreams. That’s what they would want you to do. You deserve it.”
What’s Next
As for what’s ahead, Boyer plans to keep expanding MVP, telling meaningful stories through film and growing 8 Primal. A book may be in the cards, but for now, his energy remains focused on building and creating. Through it all, he holds onto a personal motto: “Do what you love to fight what you hate.”
He also carries the Special Forces creed, De Oppresso Liber, to free the oppressed, as a guiding principle. “If there’s injustice in the world and I can do something about it, I feel like it’s my duty to stand up,” he said.
It’s that sense of duty, resilience and vision that continues to push Boyer forward—and to inspire others to do the same. His advice to veterans, whether they’re looking to break into sports, business or something entirely different, is simple but powerful: take the first step.
“Chase your dreams—you deserve it,” he said. “No one else can do it for you. Life is short. Go after it.”
As Boyer continues to lead by example, he reminds us that while uniforms may come off, the mission doesn’t end. Purpose is always waiting for those willing to pursue it.
Read more articles for the Veteran Community here.
