SWIM. BIKE. RUN.

Sandy Trades in Football for Organic Living

     Former University of Northern Iowa and NFL player Justin Sandy isn’t the first athlete to have to give up the sport due to injury.  However, the misfortune has given him the opportunity to pursue an area he became interested in while in college – that of healthy food, and how to grow it and educate others on its benefits.
    Born in Wayne, NE, Sandy graduated from East (Sioux City, IA) High School.  He was a four-year letterman at UNI (2000-03), majoring in Business Management.  He was a first-team all-conference defensive pick in 2003, the year he also was named the Panthers’ team MVP.  He was a 2003 selection for the Football All-Star Classic.
    Sandy went on to play professionally (2004-06) with the Tennessee Titans and was a member of the Cleveland Browns off-season and practice squads from 2006-08.  Foot and knee injuries eventually ended his playing career.
    Sandy currently is living in Boulder, Colo. where he is promoting Locally Grown Clothing Co., based out of Des Moines; and “interning” with Ollin Farms in Longmont, Colo.

Describe what you have been doing since you left professional football.  Why did you leave?
I was forced out of football due to a knee injury.  I have spent the majority of my time recovering from the injuries I sustained over my career and have done a lot of world traveling (for my own personal growth and enjoyment).  Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Europe, Australia are some of my travel destinations.  I have also been doing a lot of research on school food and food production.

Did you grow up on a farm?
No, I was surrounded by farmland in Sioux City, Iowa but every farmer I saw was dirty, old, and broke.   Not very appealing for a young kid.  Other than the occasional summer detasseling job, I was involved with sports all year round.  Sports did a very good job of keeping my attention throughout my childhood.

How did you become interested in organic farming? 
Starting with my sophomore year at UNI I took a strong interest in what foods I was putting into my body for the sole purpose of getting every last drop of athletic ability I could produce.  This interest stayed with me and progressed throughout my college career and once I found myself in the NFL, I wanted to use the platform I had been given to make a change for the better.
From my own experiences with food in schools and what I had read and saw with my own eyes, our kids were being exposed to foods that were making them very sick.  This was the result of many things -- misinformation, convenience, and lack of school funds.  Nevertheless, I felt something needed to change and I wanted to help be a part of that change.  I then partnered with the USDA and did some speaking engagements at different schools around Tennessee about nutrition and making smart choices when it came to food.

How did you get to Boulder, Colo.?
Recently I partnered up with a new apparel company called "Locally Grown" originating out of Des Moines, Iowa that is focused on spreading the messages and importance of eating local, healthy foods.  Selling this apparel at farmers’ markets around the country is the primary venue for this apparel.  This led me to travel to Colorado and Boulder to do some research on their behalf.  While there I sparked a conversation with a local farmer.  I wanted to learn how to produce my own food because I knew how expensive and rare
good, local, organic food can be.  After our conversation he offered me the chance to learn from him on his small organic farm outside of Boulder this season.  I moved out here in January.

What specifically are you doing in Boulder?
I am helping promote the apparel company "Locally Grown", as well as learning how to produce organic food the most abundant, efficient and sustainable way possible.
No other UNI players have worked with this specific farm but while at the first farmers’ market in Boulder I unexpectedly ran into two of my former UNI football teammates (Jeff Fisher, Ben Bowditch).  Both are at different organic farms in the area.

What are your future plans?
During my short time here in Boulder I have learned quite a lot, but it has also brought me to the realization that I have more to learn than I could have ever imagined going into this.  I have become very interested in a form of food production that focuses on sustainability.  It’s called "permaculture".  I feel in our current global climate, natural resources and economic conditions, this type of food production will be very crucial
moving forward.  I plan on learning as much as I can about this skill through design courses and hands on experience and then passing this information on to others who are in need.

Is it true you once dated Taylor Swift?
Ha ha, and also no.  I was in her music video "Picture to Burn" and she was a very sweet person but nothing romantic developed between us.

What would you like to say to the UNI fans back here in the Cedar Valley?
First off I would just like to say thank you for all the support you showed me and my teammates while I was in school there.  I feel really fortunate to have gone to school in a place with such a great community backing it up. Secondly, if you want to discuss Locally Grown Clothing Company, school food or permaculture, feel free to contact me.  I would welcome any questions or comments.
Before I sign off there are two really important things I think your readers should know about me.  Number one, I picked UNI to beat Kansas in my NCAA bracket last year so I fully expect them to not let me down this upcoming year when I pick them to win it all.  Number two, I have a younger brother who is a criminology major at UNI and is approaching his last semester.  If you see him, give him a little encouragement on making it to class and getting that UNI diploma. Thanks!