ATLANTA — We’re less than two days from the NFL Draft, which you can watch right here on Channel 2 Action News.
For Georgia Tech standout defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg, in addition to preparing for the draft, he’s also playing double-duty as a business owner.
On top of the two seasons he’s spent making messes in the opponent’s backfield, he owns a laundromat and spends his time trying to prove his kindness.
If any quarterback needs a dirty jersey cleaned, Van Den Berg says he’s your guy.
“A lot of people are surprised,” Van Den Berg told Channel 2’s Luke Hetrick.
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In addition to his status as an NFL prospect and Georgia Tech student, Van Den Berg is also a business owner.
He became the owner of Always Fresh laundromat in East Point last fall.
“I always wanted to own my own business. I’ve always been speaking to my dad, just like we’d bounce ideas off each other,” Van Den Berg said. “This came to him first. He presented it to me and as soon as we found out, we ran with it, and we did it as fast as we could.”
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“At first I was thinking, whoa, that’s a big step, definitely,” his fiancée, Ilanae Du Plessis, told Channel 2 Action News. “But I didn’t realize how much of a positive difference that buying this laundromat would make.”
The opportunity to purchase Always Fresh became possible after Jordan’s years of experience with NIL.
“I feel like if you’re fortunate enough to get NIL, you need to really set yourself up for your future because, like football is such a small part of your life,” Van Den Berg said.
The student-college pro athlete-business owner gave credit to Salaam Ali of Getting Ahead Barbershop, next door to Always fresh, for his mentorship.
Ali told Channel 2 Action News that when he met Van Den Berg, he asked what he could do to help.
“The day I met him, he asked what can I do to help over here,” Ali said? “He said, how about haircuts? I said that sounds good,” Ali told Hetrick.
“He said how about if I do 30 haircuts and I pay for them. We chose 30 kids that who couldn’t afford haircuts. He paid for 30 hair cuts and the community fell in love with him. This dude has a heart of gold.”
The dude with a heart of gold who suited up for the white and gold continues to prepare for next month’s draft as the dream of playing in the NFL inches closer. The man who makes a living doing the dirty work in the trenches always plans to keep things fresh.
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