Change of pace

Ex-pro football player transitions to world of construction

Finding one’s way after the spotlight of a professional sports career dims can be a challenge, but for Hessley “Hess” Hempstead Jr., the hard knocks he took on the field gave him the grit and drive to push beyond challenges that lay ahead.

“My career in football prepared me for everything I’ve faced until this point,” Hempstead says. “There’s not one person who has ever played football that didn’t face success, failure, adversity. It teaches a lot of excellent life lessons about dealing with challenges ...”

Hempstead started playing football late, as a high school freshman. After high school, he played at Kansas University, then with the Detroit Lions from 1995 to 1998.

“Football taught me what my internal character was and I was able to hone it and refine it. It allowed me to push beyond what I thought I could achieve. No matter what type of challenge you come across, I can think of a football circumstance that could relate to nearly every station you could go through in life.

“It taught me about how powerful the mind is in overcoming challenges and adversity. If you don’t believe in your mind to making the next play better, you aren’t going to be able to do it. ...”

His faith and family are paramount. “I have a family, two beautiful daughters and they are a big portion of what drives me, as a father and as a Christian.” 

After his playing career ended, he continued work as a talent scout for the Lions and the Washington Redskins through 2003. Spending nearly half the year away from home, Hempstead wanted a change.

A native of Michigan, Hempstead knew he wanted to live in a mid-sized city in a moderate climate. After narrowing down a few choices, he recalled visits to Charlotte and how impressed he was with the city and the people he met.

“I wanted to find someplace to settle. I went to three different school systems in my youth, and I wanted my children to go through one school system. I wanted to have a home base and Charlotte is that for me. It’s not a major metropolitan area like L.A., or New York City, but you can get to Atlanta or D.C., both less than two hours by plane.”

After moving here, he began work at John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, eventually working his way up to signature builder. In 2012, Hempstead worked as construction liaison for the Democratic National Convention Committee in Charlotte. In this role, he worked on behalf of the DNCC negotiating with the three construction partners during the building and upfit process.

This year, he joined R.J. Leeper Construction as associate project manager. He works with clients and the project superintendent from pre-construction through project completion.

“I’m driven to grow and learn and to go to what’s next. The role that I have here is allowing me to grow and do things that I’ve not had the opportunity to do,” Hempstead says.