The end of practice at the Star or Oxnard training facilities is a time of relief for most Dallas Cowboys players, a time to get up and reflect on the day’s events and practices.

For Nick Ralston, the end of practice means his day is only half over.

The guard is one of many who will fight for a spot in the Dallas roster as training camp begins in California this week. Either way, he’ll be looking to make the North Texas area his or some clients’ homes, as Ralston is a newly minted real estate agent for German firm Engel & Völkers, which has an office in Frisco. .

Frankly, the path to success in real estate is not far from the keys to victory in football, Ralston told Real Trends.

“To be great, you have to work, day in and day out,” he said. “You have to come up with a game plan and execute it.”

“What can go wrong will go wrong. Bids will be drawn. Funding will fall through. Customers will get angry. You have to keep moving forward and rolling with the punches. The agents who win are those who are not afraid to fail and who never give up.

Ralston is set to enter his second season with a star on his helmet, appearing in four games with the team on special teams snaps at the start of the season. He was on the verge of turning pro after a successful career both on and off the court at Arizona State and Louisiana, but the COVID-19 pandemic set him on a new path when the pro day showcases took off. been closed across the country.

Most have chosen to become bakers or amateur musicians during quarantine periods. Ralston chose to become a professional agent.

Ralston kept busy in 2020 balancing his training with his business studies, before having another opportunity to show off his grilling skills in 2021. The Cowboys signed him as an undrafted rookie and he lingered in the team’s practice squad in the latter parts of the season.

He will now compete for a fullback role with Chicago newcomer Ryan Nall. He’ll have a slight advantage with a year at Oxnard under his belt and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called Ralston “an awesome guy to have on our list” last August. He had a chance to touch the ball in a constructive setting last summer, as a pair of short runs each earned first downs in a Week 2 exhibition against Houston.

Ralston will be looking to show up whether or not he makes the Cowboys’ final roster.

“Finding deals is extremely difficult, especially in this wild real estate market,” he said. “(My job is) to show multiple homes to marketing listings to resolve any issues that arise in a real estate transaction… ‘putting out fires’ as my broker puts it.”