Remember Laurence Maroney? The former running back was the New England Patriots' first-round pick in 2007 and had a strong start to his career. However, things didn’t pan out as expected in New England. Let’s check in to see where Maroney is now.
Where are former Patriots now? | Laurence Maroney (2006-2010)
Maroney, who had the nickname “Kool-Aid” growing up, is back in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He and his fianceé, Briante Wells, have three children. Maroney is involved with Wells’ real estate company, Briante Wells Real Estate, and is a regular presence in her social media videos.
Maroney is also the founder and chairman of the LM39 Foundation, which provides resources for mental health and financial literacy. It also aims to support “life after sports” for athletes.
Maroney’s foundation mirrors the arc of his post-NFL career. The former first-round pick founded the LM39 Foundation as a rookie in 2006. By 2012, it had fallen to the wayside.
Maroney, who last played in the NFL in 2010, has admitted that he struggled to transition to life after the NFL. Talking to the Star Tribune, Maroney said the $8 million he’d earned from contracts had quickly dried up, and by 2014, he was sleeping on his mother’s couch.
“It was just dark times,” he said to the Star Tribune. “I didn’t know how to get out of the funk. I felt like I was in a deep hole and no matter what I did, I was getting further and further in the hole.”
Maroney says he got some “tough love” from former Patriots teammate BenJarvus Green-Ellis that helped him get back on his feet. But the big turning point in his life was in 2018, when he met Wells. Maroney admitted that he was “suffering in silence” from anxiety and depression. He says it was Wells who encouraged him to go to therapy and address his mental health.
Around that time, Maroney began to get back on track financially, thanks in part to multiple disability payments from the NFL, including a $1.2 million concussion settlement in 2020. But he was looking for more in his life. Wells convinced him to get his foundation going again. Since 2023, the LM39 Foundation has once again been hosting events around St. Louis to support local youth.
“She was really getting a broken guy,” Maroney said to St. Louis Magazine. “Not only was I broken but I was also ready for a change. She supported me throughout my mental health issues. She was helping me come out of my shell.”
Maroney had a strong start to his NFL career. As a rookie, he ran for 745 yards, serving as a backup to Corey Dillon. He was then the leading rusher for the 2007 team, totaling a career-high 835 yards on the ground.
After missing most of 2008 with a shoulder injury, Maroney ran for 757 yards in 2009. By that point, Maroney had become the target of heavy criticism in New England for what was perceived as an indecisive running style where he danced in the backfield too much. Maroney also had ball security issues, fumbling four times in 2009.
New England traded Maroney to the Denver Broncos at the start of the 2010 season. He played three games with Denver in 2010, his final year in the NFL.
In January 2011, Maroney was arrested and initially hit with weapons charges as well as charges for marijuana possession. The weapons charges were quickly dropped, as Maroney had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He was later acquitted of the drug charges. But as the Star Tribune notes, the arrest had damaged Maroney’s reputation in the NFL.
Maroney got back in shape in hopes of getting another chance in the league, but didn’t get any bites.
That marked the end of Maroney’s NFL career. But as his recent years have shown, the former first-round pick eventually proved that there was more to him than just football.