Meet DaJuan Morgan, former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts. Like most NFL players, going to the major league is a dream. The lights. The fame. The fortune. But after being released from the team DaJuan struggled to find his own niche and like most players he didn’t have a back up plan. All his life he had been groomed to be an athlete– nothing else. As blessings tend to come when we least expect, he and his former college football roommate Jamelle Eugene at North Carolina State University reconnected. From their experience on the field and being hands on with the injuries associated with the game, they came up with a game changer. But this time, the game changer came in the form of a second chance. The score depended on their efforts as a business partnership rather than a leading block, tackle, sack or touchdown. The idea of Gryppers was formulated on a plane ride to California in 2011.
Jamelle and DaJuan met in college, they were introduced to each other in the summer of 2005 by another teammate, and the three of them became roommates in the fall. Immediately, Jamelle and DaJuan shared a brotherly bond,that would later blossom into a successful business partnership.
Although their football careers were over neither of them stopped working hard at what they loved so much. Jamelle and DaJuan refused to be associated with the stereotypes and stigmas of being a jock. So, they came together in 2011 to start their very own company. Using the last bit of savings they had to secure intellectual property, file for patents, trademarks, and domains. It’s without a doubt they learned a great deal about how to convert “fourth and goal” situations into wins on and off the field.
Gryppers is an innovative newly patented product designed as both a comfortable and highly functional piece of sports apparel equipment. Its unique design allows its users to perform the essential tasks of gripping and catching a ball or object in a number of different sports at optimal levels of effectiveness.
The fingers are an integral part of having an effective grip when catching and grasping a ball or object. Typically, the entire hand and fingers are involved when absorbing the impact upon the receiving of a ball, as well as in maintaining a secure grasp on it or an object once it has been caught or is being handled. It is a multi-sport product with basketball being a focal point, giving that sport something never seen or used before. Gryppers will supersede the use of powder and athletic tape while providing optimal grip when grasping a ball or an object. It is also intended to serve as an effective tool designed to increase performance while simultaneously protecting the user from injuries. The product is made from flexible material that provides elasticity and comfort for the finger, providing the user with all-important freedom of movement. Gryppers has two issued patents, with one additional patent, and trademarks pending with the United States and International Patent and trademark Office.
The Gryppers team have launched a 30 day start up fund to help with the next phase of their product development. Please donate at:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fourthandgoal/gryppers-innovative-sports-products
The last day to donate is December 20, 2013 6:45 p.m. EST.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with the Gryppers team, please call Myya Mars at 571.721.1799 or email at info@marsmarketinggroup.com or info@gryppers.com
Gryppers: uniquely designed multi-sport finger product that provides protection, grip & full range of motion for optimal levels of effectiveness.
About M.A.R.S. Marketing Group: M.A.R.S. Marketing Group provides uniquely tailored digital marketing solutions via Creative Marketing and Development, Advertising Media Planning & Buying, Research and Social Media management. We are very unique in our approach to marketing and new media development. We pride ourselves in providing professional expertise and 20 years of combined experience in assisting companies with tapping into new media platforms to create stronger brand engagement and awareness. Additionally, we offer an entrepreneur incubator marketing development division that aides new and mid-stage companies with securing patents, trademarks, capital via social media campaigns, and marketing strategy development to position and prepare companies for long-term sustainable growth.
