Now settled in Kigali, Rwanda, with his family, the former wide receiver is gearing up to open SZY, a high-end vegan restaurant, in May. His journey, from earning $8 million in America\u2019s most bruising sport to crafting crispy mushroom sandwiches in East Africa, is as radical as it is inspiring.<\/p>\n
Doctson opened up about his journey in a recent episode of The Long Form Podcast, recorded in his airy Kigali home.<\/p>\n
Over a vegan meal of battered oyster mushrooms and eggplant \u201cfish sticks,\u201d he traced a path shaped by ambition, injury, and reinvention. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my new team,\u201d he said, nodding to his chef Jackson and staff. \u201cI\u2019m repeating my NFL drive\u2014leadership, success, but with food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Doctson grew up in a modest single-parent household, raised by a mother who stretched food stamps to feed him and his brother. A move to Texas in 1999 planted the seeds for his football ascent. <\/p>\n
At Texas Christian University (TCU), his talent as a wide receiver caught the NFL\u2019s eye, landing him a 22nd overall pick by the Redskins in 2016. <\/p>\n
At 22, he signed a $8 million contract\u2014$6 million after taxes\u2014a windfall he barely understood. <\/p>\n
\u201cI texted my agent, \u2018How much?\u2019\u201d he recalled. \u201cI thought, \u2018I can get fast food and a haircut!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But wealth brought complexity. With no financial literacy training, Doctson navigated requests from family\u2014once lending $15,000 he never recouped\u2014and a league culture that often leaves players broke post-career. <\/p>\n
He invested in real estate, a move that spared him that fate, but the NFL\u2019s physical toll was harder to dodge. <\/p>\n
A rare Achilles arthritis sidelined him in his rookie year, followed by a 2019 concussion that still triggers migraines, forcing him to wear sunglasses indoors. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was a lab rat,\u201d he said of the grueling treatments. \u201cI wasn\u2019t enjoying the money or life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Retirement came abruptly in 2021 when the Arizona Cardinals cut him mid-meeting. At 29, with a fianc\u00e9, Haley, and a son to anchor him, Doctson walked away. <\/p>\n
\u201cI switched it off, cold turkey,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d done enough.\u201d It was Haley, met in 2018 during his darkest days, who helped him heal through travel\u2014including trips to Rwanda that changed his life.<\/p>\n
Rwanda first captivated Doctson in 2018. After George Floyd\u2019s death and Covid\u2019s chaos, America felt \u201cunsafe\u201d to him as a Black man. \u201cStepping off the plane here, I smelled clean air, saw my people, felt home,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
By 2024, he\u2019d relocated his family permanently, trading Doritos for a quieter, freer life. \u201cPolice don\u2019t scare me here,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Veganism emerged as his next frontier. A meat-eater in the NFL\u2014where he was fined for losing weight\u2014Doctson turned plant-based in 2020, seeking health and recovery. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy body rejects meat now,\u201d he explained, likening its smell to tobacco smoke. <\/p>\n
Self-taught via YouTube and inspired by vegan chef Todd Anderson, he mastered dishes like cashew cream-slathered slaw and seaweed-spiced eggplant. His kids, raised vegan, thrive on mushrooms and beans, though he\u2019s open to them exploring meat later. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m giving them tools for their path,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
SZY vegan restaurant aims to bring that vision to Rwanda. Set behind KABC in Kigali, the restaurant will blend high-end dining with plant-based innovation\u2014think honey mustard from Rwandan honey and coleslaw sans dairy. <\/p>\n
\u201cFood was a prison in the NFL,\u201d Doctson reflected. \u201cVeganism\u2019s my challenge now\u2014failure, then reward.\u201d <\/p>\n
Partnered with Anderson, he\u2019s betting on Rwanda\u2019s growing expat and health-conscious scene, despite its meat-rich traditions.<\/p>\n
For Doctson, Rwanda is more than a business venture; it\u2019s a legacy for his children.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose here for safety\u2014no shootings, no fear like in America,\u201d he told the podcast, addressing his kids 20 years from now. <\/p>\n
From NFL stardom to vegan visionary, Josh Doctson\u2019s reinvention proves some plays are bigger than the field. <\/p>\n
Watch the full interview on The Long Form Podcast below.<\/p>\n