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48 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, November 28, 2003 --> Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 24, 2003 Where are they now? Tracey Eaton, Medford High School, 1983 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Not yet 40, Tracey Eaton has managed to do something twice that most people can’t wait to do once. Retire. The former Medford High and Portland State football star who played six NFL seasons before retiring, stepped down from his job as a stock broker a couple of weeks ago. Eaton, 38, lives in Bellevue, Wash., with his wife of 11 years, Kimberly, and their children, sons Trace, 10, and Torre, 8, and daughter Sean Marie, 4. Advertisement "I have so much peace of mind," says Eaton. "The fishing is better on weekdays, and they seem to bite better when you’re not stressed out about money." Eaton played in the NFL from 1988-93 for Houston, Phoenix and Atlanta. After a year of travel and leisure, he became a stock broker because "the money ran out." In the mid-90s, he met a young, financially independent man. "I just wanted to know what he knew," says Eaton. What followed was a moonlighting venture into e-commerce franchising. Eaton gradually built a subscriber base for online buying and has been successful enough he could retire. Again. It was the best day of his life, he says, because it put his priorities in order. "That day I became a better father and a better husband," says Eaton. "Now I have all my time to put toward my family. I’m excited about that." Eaton now serves as a consultant and speaks once a week in Portland and once a month in the Rogue Valley. What helped in football helped in business. "It’s all an attitude," says Eaton. "Success is an attitude. Ninety-eight percent of the game is attitude, two percent is skill. There were tons of guys who had more skill than I did, but I would beat them out because I was consistent, disciplined and persistent. I wasn’t a quitter." He tried to quit once, and legendary football coach Fred Spiegelberg wouldn’t have it. Having played at Medford Mid-High, Eaton, a smallish junior, wasn’t going to turn out at the senior high. Then he crossed paths with Spiegelberg. "He said, ‘Gosh, I haven’t seen your name signed up,’" recalls Eaton. "‘It must have been a mistake.’ Then he grabbed me by my hood with my heels dragging — I was such a tiny guy, he couldn’t tell my heels were dragging — and took me to sign up." The rest is history. "It’s amazing how little, tiny things can make your life turn out," says Eaton. Eaton didn’t start much in the NFL but played more than half the defensive and special teams plays and received game balls on several occasions. One year, an acrobatic interception in the final three minutes preserved a win over Detroit. He also laid some vicious hits, breaking the face mask of a New Orleans player in a playoff game and knocking out San Francisco tight end Brent Jones, who was crossing the middle for a Steve Young pass. Now, his hits come online and its anything but work. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times