Retired NFL Player and His Mom Become Majority Owners of Professional Hockey Team

Myles Jack, a retired NFL player, along with his mom, LaSonjia, are now the majority owners of the minor hockey league team, the Allen Americans. This historic move makes them the first Black majority owners of an ECHL team.

"From the football field to the business world, I have always brought passion and leadership to my teams," Jack said, according to the Journal Gazette. "The opportunity to lead this franchise and serve our great fans is an incredible responsibility. I'm excited to bring a first-class, family-friendly entertainment option to this community alongside our great partners."

The ECHL's Board of Governors gave their approval to a group led by Jack and his mother to take over the Texas-based team in early October 2023. They are taking over the team from the previous owner, Jack Gulati, who held the team for six years.

Although Black leadership in minor league hockey teams is rare, there have been other instances, like former pro-MLB player Herb Washington's ownership of the Central Hockey League's Youngstown SteelHounds.

Moreover, Jack's mother LaSonjia also expressed her excitement about their new role.

"It's such an honor to lead such a great hockey team in Texas -- which is a great place for families and businesses," the proud mother said. "The Allen Americans are a pillar in this community, and we will continue that tradition. We believe in bringing people together and sharing memories, and what better way to do that than to attend an ECHL hockey game."

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Retired Nfl Player Myles Jack And Mother Become Majority Owners Of Minor League Hockey Team

By Sharelle Burt

Former NFL player Myles Jack is using his time wisely as a retiree by becoming a majority owner of the minor hockey league team, the Allen Americans Journal Gazette reports.

The ECHL’s Board of Governors approved the transfer of controlling interest of the Texas-based team to Jack and his mother, LaSonjia in early October 2023, making them the first Black majority owners of an ECHL team. In a statement, Jack said this partnership caves into his passion for leadership.

“From the football field to the business world, I have always brought passion and leadership to my teams,” Jack said.

“The opportunity to lead this franchise and serve our great fans is an incredible responsibility. I’m excited to bring a first-class, family- friendly entertainment option to this community alongside our great partners.”

Black leadership in minor league hockey teams may be rare but they do exist. Former pro-MLB player Herb Washington once owned the Central Hockey League’s Youngstown SteelHounds.

According to Flo Hockey, The Jacks are taking over the team from past leader, Jack Gulati, who owned the team for six years. LaSonjia discussed why she’s excited for the future as a new leader.

“It’s such an honor to lead such a great hockey team in Texas – which is a great place for families and businesses,” the proud mother said. “The Allen Americans are a pillar in this community, and we will continue that tradition. We believe in bringing people together and sharing memories, and what better way to do that than to attend an ECHL hockey game.”

Jack, 27, was recently preparing for his eighth season with the NFL as a Philadelphia Eagle when he abruptly announced his retirement. During an interview at the Eagles training camp, he admitted to having other goals  of being a plumber or electrician before putting on the cleats and said he was bored. “I like to work, I just couldn’t sit at home,” Jack said.

“But I’m too bored. My mind is too much. So I just want to be innovative. I don’t know, if a zombie apocalypse happens, I want to be able to build something or fix something.”

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Football, Hockey And Beyond: How Lasonjia Jack Is Building A Family Legacy

By Elizabeth Paige Richardson  | July 25, 2024

LaSonjia Jack is confident that even if you've never been interested in hockey, she can turn you into a fanatic for the fast-paced game on the ice. She knows firsthand just how heart-pumping and intense the games can get, as both a fan and the co-owner of the Allen Americans hockey team in Texas. 

“I say, if you’ve never been to a [hockey game], come with us. I’m telling you, everybody who goes to one is hooked, you’re hooked after it.” It’s the signature confidence of a woman who, with her son Myles Jack, has had to pull up a seat at the table and grab the opportunity to purchase their own team in a predominantly white sport, all in the name of building a family legacy that they hope will soon be a formidable force in sports. 

Football devotees know the names Myles and LaSonjia Jack from the NFL field. Myles played with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars for an impressive seven-season career in the league, with LaSonjia there to cheer him on every step of the way. Now, their fans can also throw on the signature red and white jersey of their Allen Americans hockey team, a purchase that cemented the family in history as the first African American owners of a hockey team. 

Some people react in surprise when LaSonjia tells them of their ownership of the Allen Americans, but she lets them know that the sport has always been in her life, starting from her childhood near the Chicago area. 

“Hockey is exciting,” she says. “It’s absolutely a fun family environment.” 

She admits, however, that she is surprised by how quickly the opportunity to own the team came about. “If you were to ask me if this was going to happen last year, I would have told you ‘no,’” she laughs. "I would have said we were looking for 2025 or 2026.” But the opportunity to buy the team was too good to pass up, and the family moved fast, having their first press conference announcing the historic decision in October 2023. 

The ownership has proven to be an incredible success for both the East Coast Hockey League team and the Jack family; the Allen Americans’ ticket sales and membership have increased since they became majority owners, and LaSonjia notes they’ve already had eight sell-out games. 

The family is determined that their success won’t stop at hockey; they intend to build a Jack family sports empire like the billion-dollar Glazer family. Myles has already acquired ownership in teams in various other sports, including the Leeds United Soccer team and the Cleburne Railroaders baseball team, among others. As the CEO of the Jack Family businesses, the Allen Americans team is a crucial building block to that goal. 

Behind all the victories on the ice and connections the family has forged with the hockey community in Allen, Texas, and beyond, LaSonjia noted that she feels her family’s position as the first African Americans to own a hockey team brings more responsibility than intense pressure. “We would go above and beyond to ensure that operations work appropriately and that our community respects us, regardless of us happening to be the first people of color.” 

Being a positive force in hockey means more than just giving fans a good time. Along the way, the Jack family has made sure to uplift the community with them, giving everyone in Allen and beyond a chance to interact with the sport and perhaps inspire a new generation of players. 

“Kids get an opportunity to learn about ice skating and community involvement, and these kids that maybe look like myself or others maybe don't have an opportunity to see the ice,” LaSonjia says of the importance of the Jack family’s recent investment in Jacksonville’s ice rink center.  

Out of the rink, young girls and boys have approached the CEO to tell her that they’ve been inspired to not only strap on a pair of skates but also own a team one day. 

The community outreach and visibility seem to be working. In 2023, Tennessee State University became the first HBCU to offer men’s ice hockey, repping their royal blue and white tiger jersey in the rink. Announcements like these fill the Jack family matriarch with palpable pride, and she has no doubt that this is only the beginning of a new era for the sport. 

“I don’t want them [to be] the last,” she says. “I think you’re going to see a wave of hockey.” There’s been a noticeable shift in the conversation around sports that LaSonjia has experienced firsthand. 

“I’ve had a bunch of ladies reach out to me who play hockey,” she says of the visibility that comes with the distinction. “It’s like, this is just great to see that you don’t have to play sports. You can also own them, too. So that’s the responsibility—to show them what great looks like.” 

The revered businesswoman, who has been in the C-suite boardrooms at Microsoft, T-Mobile and now the Allen Americans, is sharing the secrets to her success in an upcoming book. The executive sees the key to breaking through the glass ceiling in the business world as “having the self-confidence that we belong” in the boardroom, especially when you’re the only woman or person of color in the room. 

“Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from fulfilling those goals,” she says. “I’m a person who loves when people tell me ‘no’ because then I have to ask a whole lot of questions to figure out how to get to that yes. And don’t be afraid to try anything.” 

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Color of Hockey: ECHL Team Owned By NFL Veteran Jack, mom now Utah affiliate

ByWilliam Douglas

@WDouglasNHL NHL.com Staff Writer

August 26, 2024

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles NFL linebacker Myles Jack and his mother, LaSonjia Jack, who became the first Black majority owners in ECHL history last season when they assumed control of the Allen Americans. Allen entered a one-year affiliation agreement with the Utah Hockey Club in July.

NFL linebacker Myles Jack said owning the Allen Americans of the ECHL has been a learning experience.

“It’s basically like taking a business course in college but now it’s the real deal and you’re putting your chips on the table,” Jack said. “Year One was a blur. Year Two, we’ve got more things under control so I’m excited to try some new things.”

One of those things for the ECHL’s first majority-Black-owned team led by Jack and his mother, LaSonjia Jack, is a new affiliation with the NHL’s newest team, the Utah Hockey Club.

Utah and Allen entered a one-year affiliation agreement July 31 after Allen had been an affiliate of the Ottawa Senators since August 2022.

“We’re proud to be the first ECHL affiliate for the new franchise, Utah,” said LaSonjia Jack, who goes by “LJ.” “Allen, we’re doing good things, they (Utah) are doing big things.”

Utah assistant general manager John Ferguson said the team chose Allen because, “The Americans are a first-class organization with a passionate fan base and a reputation of winning.”

“We look forward to working with Americans ownership, Myles and LaSonjia Jack, this season.”

LaSonjia Jack said several NHL teams reached out to Allen at the end of last season about possible affiliation for 2024-25, but she described partnering with Utah as “a match made in heaven.”

“I sat in on those interviews and had discussions with each of those teams,” she said. “[Utah] thought it was very important for us to have our coach (B.J. Adams) synergize with their coach (Andre Tourigny), have regular calls, be able to provide feedback when they sent down players.

“And the last thing was access. Our coach gets to be able to go to Utah, sit in on meeting and develop a bond with Utah. Utah said, ‘Hey, let’s do it.’ And we said, ‘Let’s go.’”

Mother and son made history when they became the ECHL’s first Black majority owners when they took control of Allen in October.

The Jacks have had minority ownership stakes in Jacksonville of the ECHL since 2021, Savannah of the ECHL since 2022 and Lake Tahoe, entering its inaugural ECHL season.

The Jacks added to their hockey portfolio July 15 when Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, an organization in which they are partners, acquired controlling interest in Charlotte of the American Hockey League, the affiliate of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“It’s a cool little match, getting to meet the Florida Panthers management and kind of learning from those guys,” said Myles Jack, who played three games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and currently is an unrestricted free agent. “It’s cool to be blessed to be able to meet people and them being so open and sharing their knowledge. It’s phenomenal.”

The Jacks are part of a small but growing number of Black current and retired athletes and entrepreneurs who hold ownership stakes in professional hockey teams.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins; retired NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is part of the Seattle Kraken investment group; “NHL on TNT” analyst and retired NHL forward Anson Carter is minority owner of Atlanta of the ECHL; and Salamander Hotel & Resorts CEO and Black Entertainment Television cofounder Sheila Johnson has a stake in the Washington Capitals along with Earl Stafford, CEO of the Wentworth Group.

“When you let people know that you own a hockey team, it kind of puts a question mark on their face,” Jack said. “But all it takes is one game and they understand what’s going on.”

Allen had the ECHL’s second-best improvement in attendance last season, growing 23.7 percent (156,553 total, per game 4,349 average) to rank 15th in the 29-team league, up from 22nd (126,579 total, per game 3,516 average) in 2022-23, according to league statistics.

Allen (33-35-4) finished third in the ECHL Mountain Division last season and lost to Idaho in five games in the best-of-7 division semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

“It’s been phenomenal for me just learning about the game of hockey, just understanding the culture, the history and actually how global the sport is as well,” Jack said. “Year Two, we’re demanding excellence from the players side of things, the coaching side of things, management, everything upstairs and even ourselves.”

Jack said the biggest lesson he learned in his first season of ownership is running a team is about more than wins and losses.

“You have other people’s livelihoods in your hands,” he said. “The player's career, they want the best so they can continue on to whatever their goals are within the sport. Obviously the coaches, giving them the tools to do what they need to do. And the employees as well because I’m sure a lot of people want to move on to the AHL and the NHL and do bigger things.

“But I feel, what better pipeline in the sport to be able to give people whatever tools they need than this?”

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Color of Hockey: NFL Veteran Jack, Mom The 1st Black ECHL Team Majority Owners

ByWilliam Douglas

@WDouglasNHL NHL.com Staff Writer

December 18, 2023

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack, who became a majority owner of the Allen Americans of the ECHL in October along with his mother, LaSonjia Jack. They are the first Black majority owners in the league’s history.

Myles Jack partially credits hockey with getting him back into the National Football League.

The 28-year-old linebacker retired in August after playing seven seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers and made history in October when he and his mother, LaSonjia Jack, became majority owners of the Allen Americans of the ECHL, the first Black majority owners in the league.

Jack quickly became a hands-on boss who attended the Ottawa Senators ECHL affiliate’s home and road games, practices, occasionally worked out with players, and even put on a pair of skates for a lap -- albeit a slow one -- around a rink.

But then that competitive itch returned.

“Yeah, I would say so,” Jack said. “As a competitor, watching the hockey games, watching them hit each other, watching close games. It’s two different sports but the objective and team goals and the elements that make a winning team are all pretty much the same no matter what sport you’re in.”

About the same time, the Steelers came calling. Depleted at linebacker due to injuries, they asked Jack if he were interested in making a comeback. He signed a contract with Pittsburgh’s practice squad in November.

“To come back to the Steelers and just kind of get another peek at how they run things and how the coaches establish how everything runs is definitely something I would like to emulate in Allen, for sure,” he said.

Jack is now balancing being a player and an owner trying to keep up with the day-to-day doings in Allen, Texas, more than 1,200 miles away from Pittsburgh.

“Even just stuff like injury updates, players, trying to get sponsorships, working with people in the city, trying to meet up with other people from other teams to get their ideas, it’s a full-time job,” he said. “It’s two full-time jobs.”

Not that Jack minds being busy. He contemplated going to trade school to study becoming a plumber or electrician when the Steelers released him in March and before the Philadelphia Eagles signed him in early August (he was with the team for two weeks before he initially made his decision to retire and never played a game for Philadelphia). And he spent much of his short-lived NFL retirement behind the wheel of airplanes working toward a pilot’s license.

“I was, like, going five times a week,” said Jack, who lives in Jacksonville in the offseason. “I was trying to hurry up and get my pilot’s license so that way I could fly myself from Jacksonville to Allen while I was building up hours. I was trying to speed up the process so I could get up and go whenever need be.”

Jack said he had little exposure to hockey growing up or while playing football at UCLA. He attended a Jacksonville Icemen ECHL game while he was playing for the Jaguars and was mesmerized.

“I was literally on the glass, watching them hit, watching how fast they’re moving, guys jumping on the ice, jumping off the ice, the goalie catching the puck with one hand,” he said. “It was nonstop action, and I quickly caught a grasp of the game. I was, like, ‘What better sport to be a part of?’ And I feel like it’s growing, literally, every day.”

Jack and his mother, who goes by 'LJ,' struck up a friendship with Icemen and Zawyer Sports Consulting owner Andy Kaufmann and through retired NFL defensive end Reggie Hayward and his wife, Megan, obtained a one-percent interest in the Buffalo Sabres’ ECHL affiliate in 2021.

“I’m like what I call ‘Mama Shark Tank,’” LJ said. “When people have great ideas, they bounce it off me. If I think it’s a wonderful idea, I’ll get more information, have some meetings and then I’ll bring Myles in on, ‘Hey this looks pretty good’ and bring in our finance guy.

“I went to a meeting with Andy, and they sat down. and they explained to me about the Icemen. And I fell in love at the start of it. I’m originally from Evanston, Illinois, outside of Chicago, so I’m very familiar with hockey and ice skating, that’s what we did every weekend. So we said, ‘Yes, we’d like to be involved.’”

They added to their hockey portfolio in 2022 with a two-percent stake in the ECHL expansion Savannah Ghost Pirates, the Vegas Golden Knights’ farm team also owned by Kaufmann.

They also have a minority percentage of the Tahoe Knight Monsters, an ECHL expansion franchise co-owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, and the Leeds United soccer team of League 1, along with U.S. Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps.

“We still love our Icemen, our Savannah Ghost Pirates, but this (Allen Americans) is our baby, and we’re rolling up our sleeves and we’re going to help everyone live the hockey dream,” LJ said.

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ALLEN AMERICANS PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING NEW OWNER MYLES JACK

The Allen Americans announced new owner Myles Jack, bringing along a pedigree that led Jack from on the football field to the hockey rink. Tune in to see what the Jack family had to say about the acquisition and what they plan to bring to the Allen Americans organization.

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RETIRED NFL PLAYER MYLES JACK & MOTHER BECOME MAJORITY OWNERS OF MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY TEAM

Former NFL player Myles Jack is using his time wisely as a retiree by becoming a majority owner of the minor hockey league team, the Allen Americans Journal Gazette reports.

The ECHL’s Board of Governors approved the transfer of controlling interest of the Texas-based team to Jack and his mother, LaSonjia in early October 2023, making them the first Black majority owners of an ECHL team. In a statement, Jack said this partnership caves into his passion for leadership.

“From the football field to the business world, I have always brought passion and leadership to my teams,” Jack said.

“The opportunity to lead this franchise and serve our great fans is an incredible responsibility. I’m excited to bring a first-class, family- friendly entertainment option to this community alongside our great partners.”

We are excited to welcome Myles Jack as our new owner and as the first African- American majority owner of a professional hockey team! pic.twitter.com/DTroYC3T1n

— Americans Professional Hockey Club (@AllenAmericans) October 4, 2023

Black leadership in minor league hockey teams may be rare but they do exist. Former pro-MLB player Herb Washington once owned the Central Hockey League’s Youngstown SteelHounds.

According to Flo Hockey, The Jacks are taking over the team from past leader, Jack Gulati, who owned the team for six years. LaSonjia discussed why she’s excited for the future as a new leader.

“It’s such an honor to lead such a great hockey team in Texas – which is a great place for families and businesses,” the proud mother said. “The Allen Americans are a pillar in this community, and we will continue that tradition. We believe in bringing people together and sharing memories, and what better way to do that than to attend an ECHL hockey game.”

Jack, 27, was recently preparing for his eighth season with the NFL as a Philadelphia Eagle when he abruptly announced his retirement. During an interview at the Eagles training camp, he admitted to having other goals  of being a plumber or electrician before putting on the cleats and said he was bored. “I like to work, I just couldn’t sit at home,” Jack said.

“But I’m too bored. My mind is too much. So I just want to be innovative. I don’t know, if a zombie apocalypse happens, I want to be able to build something or fix something.”

- Credit: by Sharelle Burt

Former Jacksonville Jaguars LB Myles Jack Makes History As ECHL Owner

Myles Jack has exited football and entered hockey.

The recently retired linebacker and his mother, LaSonjia Jack, have completed the purchase of the ECHL's Allen Americans.

The Americans are based in the Dallas suburb of Allen, TX and are an affiliate of the Ottawa Senators and their American Hockey League affiliate Belleville Senators.

In purchasing the team, the Jacks become the first Black majority owners of a pro hockey franchise.

“From the football field to the business world, I have always brought passion and leadership to my teams," Jack said in a statement. "The opportunity to lead this franchise and serve our great fans is an incredible responsibility. I'm excited to bring a first-class, family-friendly entertainment option to this community alongside our great partners."

A native of Scottsdale, AZ, Jack announced his retirement from the NFL after seven seasons in August after having signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Originally taken with the 36th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of UCLA, Jack spent the first six seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.

For his career, Jack recorded 617 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three interceptions, including a pick-six, in 103 games.

The Americans open their 2023-2024 season on Oct. 20 against the Idaho Steelheads.

- Credit: TSN.ca Staff