Buchanon is a businessman, philanthropist

MIAMI -- Phillip Buchanon spends his off-season in the Miami area, doing his newfound commercial real-estate business deals and planning his post-playing career.

The new Lions cornerback -- he signed a two-year, $8.5-million deal in the off-season -- has been preparing for the rigors of training camp as well.

Buchanon will fly to Detroit on Tuesday, with the Lions scheduled to begin training camp Friday in Allen Park.
"It feels good on Sundays and in the off-season," Buchanon said. "The hard work in between -- most people don't understand."

A typical off-season day for Buchanon begins at the University of Miami football team's weight room. There, under the guidance of Miami strength coach Andreu Swasey, who had that role during Buchanon's 1999-2001 tenure, Buchanon and other ex-Hurricanes get to work.

"Their body is their business," Swasey said last week, as Buchanon, 49ers running back Frank Gore, Redskins receiver Santana Moss, free-agent tight end Bubba Franks and a handful of others did a series of exercises.

"This is about getting him ready for camp," Swasey said of Buchanon. "This is about him being prepared for longevity."

This particular workout consisted of doing military presses with a pair of 50-pound dumbbells and repeatedly lifting a 14-pound medicine ball.

After lunch, Buchanon drove home in his month-old green, Porsche Cayenne luxury SUV.

Brochures of another condominium complex sat on his kitchen table.

Buchanon, 28, has been looking for a place to buy. But he has held off, wondering why he can't talk the sellers down from $350,000 to $200,000-$250,000 -- especially since he's paying cash.

Buchanon also has been looking for a place to store his Cayenne. He has a black Range Rover in Detroit, the other car he owns. He used to own "four or five," but over the past two or three years, Buchanon said he has learned to conserve and manage his money.

Attending NFL business management and entrepreneurial programs opened Buchanon's eyes to money-making opportunities. Now he owns commercial real-estate properties in Texas, Georgia, Florida and Massachusetts.

"I want to turn $2 million into $4 million and then $4 million into $8 million and then $8 million into $16 million," Buchanon said.

Businesses such as a Joe's Crab Shack and Arby's restaurants lease properties owned by Buchanon.

"You're lucky to be in the league and make it past three or four years," Buchanon said.

Buchanon quietly has given some of his money back to the community. He paid for new uniforms for three local teams. He also paid the admission fees for about 30 high school athletes to attend football camps this summer.

But come Friday, the business dealings, the casual workouts and the constant answering of his two cell phones will slow down if not halt.

"Once the season starts, I'm focused on that," Buchanon said.



(freep.com)