Jaylon Smith knew little about finance when he started in the NFL 10 years ago. Now, he has a portfolio of 21 investments—and recently scored his biggest return yet when he sold his stake in Oura, producer of the smart ring, making 10 times his money.
In 2021, when the COVID-19 virus was peaking and Smith was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, he invested $100,000 in Oura’s series C round. Oura rings track different health metrics like heart rate, body temperature and sleep; the product has gained in popularity with many U.S. athletes at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics wearing them.
Oura was valued at $11 billion in November, having sold 5.5 million rings. Smith sold his Oura investment within the past month. “I just recently exited at around Series E,” he said. Oura could not immediately be reached for comment.
Smith’s investment wins have helped him multiply his earnings from his NFL career, which was no sure thing. An outstanding college player at Notre Dame who won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2015, Smith’s draft stock fell in 2016 after he tore ligaments in his knee during the Fiesta Bowl. Now 30, he was a three-year starter for Dallas and had stops at several other NFL teams, his last in the Las Vegas Raiders training camp before being released last August.
Through it all, he’s kept building wealth through his connection with Michael Ledo’s Rise Family Office, which specializes in investments for athletes.
Health and wellness have “really emerged” as a sector since COVID caused businesses across the U.S. to shut down in 2020, Smith said. “I invested in [Oura] because I believe in overall health technology.”
Smith said he still wears his Oura ring even though he’s no longer an investor and pointed out that his mother is a big fan of the gadget, or as he calls her, “a guru.” Oura may have produced Smith’s biggest return so far, but it’s not his only profitable exit. The athlete-entrepreneur has sold two other investments, both in real estate, that have produced 3x returns. Smith also expects a more than 10x return from his stake in EOS Worldwide, a professional services firm.
His remaining portfolio is diversified. He is an investor in ramen restaurant chain Jinya Ramen Bar; Cycle Management Group, a financial services firm; and CEV Collection, the eyewear brand that he co-founded. He currently owns 65 acres in Sherman, Texas, that he hopes will benefit from proximity to Texas Instruments, which has a chip plant in the city.
Smith’s plans are to build a family office that is $250 million liquid, Rise’s Ledo said. “That’s what he’s really building for his legacy, and for the rest of his family.”
When asked what investor he looks up to, Smith didn’t mention Warren Buffett—he singled out a pioneering pro athlete. “Junior Bridgeman,” he said. “Rest in peace.”
Bridgeman, a former basketball player who died in March of 2025 at the age of 71, and who, like Smith, was born in Indiana, made about $3 million during his NBA career. But when he retired, Bridgeman built a fast-food empire that totaled more than 450 restaurants nationwide. Bridgeman owned Wendy’s franchises, became a Coca-Cola bottling distributor, and bought Ebony and Jet magazines.
Bridgeman didn’t want to be classified as “just a great athlete,” Smith said. “That’s one of the guys that I look up to for sure.”
It was Rise that kick-started Smith’s investments. The firm advises professional athletes on how take the high income they earn on the field and turn it into lasting wealth. “We help them build businesses, buy businesses, sell businesses, but then we also help them with unique access to private deal flow, like Oura,” Ledo said.
Rise, which has AUM of roughly $300 million, currently has a roster of about 20 clients including Jessie Bates III of the Atlanta Falcons; Jacob Parrish of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and Malik Hooker of the Dallas Cowboys. “No female athletes currently, but we’re working on that,” Ledo said.
Smith, meanwhile, is preparing for the next phase of his career beyond the NFL. There are many people who encourage NFL athletes “to just play football,” he said, but Smith never wanted to succumb to that way of thinking. “There’s a lot more to be accomplished beyond athletics.”