“Against all odds, critics, and naysayers, I accomplished something great. Scouts measured my height and said I was too short. They measured my 40-yard dash and said I was too slow. They looked at my build and said I wouldn’t last. But they couldn’t measure my heart, my faith, and my perseverance.”
Undersized and overmatched, at 5’8″ Justin Forsett had plenty of reasons to give up on becoming a full-time NFL starter. It wasn’t until 2014 at age 29 that Forsett “came out of nowhere” and proved them all wrong.
A native of Mulberry, Florida, Justin’s family moved to Texas in his junior year of high school. He played collegiate football at the University of California-Berkeley where he ranked third in school history. Drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Justin Forsett was constantly fighting to prove himself in the NFL.
He played in 122 career games over nine years and spent time with seven different teams including Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle, Indianapolis, Houston, and Jacksonville.
He played in nine games for the Jaguars in 2013 before injuring his foot, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. He spent parts of four seasons (2008-11) with Seattle and the 2012 season with the Texans. Forsett spent more than two seasons with the Ravens, including one Pro Bowl year in which he took the league by storm in 2014. In 2015, Forsett broke his arm midway through the season, returning to the Ravens in 2016 only to be released after three games. He bounced to the Detroit Lions (two games) and finished the season, and his career, with the Denver Broncos (four games).
He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015 following his most successful season in the NFL, and ranked #65 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2015 On May 3, 2017, Forsett announced his retirement from the NFL.
Forsett was a cherished fan favorite and big part of the community whose career will be defined by much more than his stats.
Justin spent much of his time spreading advice and encouragement to his teammates and anyone he worked with. A Christian man of integrity, he was extremely active in volunteering to help those in need, and the Baltimore community embraced him in turn.
Hip-hop artist LeCrae said about Justin, “You’ll learn he’s a passionate, committed man, and I believe he’ll continue to change the world through his influence, through his faith in God and through his wisdom that he applies both on and off the field.”
Forsett continues to work in the community and with his private business, ShowerPill, an idea he had in college which he pitched to Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran on ABC’s Shark Tank. Justin Forsett and ShowerPill have even helped other communities, by using ShowerPill. They brought 20,000 body wipes to the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, communities without access to clean bathing water. It’s a safe substitute, when a shower isn’t accessible.
Justin hosts a podcast called Breaking Bread on LeBron James’ UNINTERRUPTED Podcast Network which produces documentaries, web series and podcasts hosted by some of the biggest names in sports. Forsett is also a writer and sporting News contributor, featured in Sports Illustrated, and appeared in the final episode of Long Shot along with Chad Johnson and Larry English.
When speaking to audiences, Justin has a genuine desire to positively impact others with his message of perseverance through life’s disappointments. His witty and down-to-earth personality engages audiences from corporate environments to youth groups as he shares his inspirational journey of hope, focus, determination, and the importance of legacy.
