From setback to startup: After football, Hedgepeth builds business career

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Media Contact: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu

When three Achilles tendon ruptures ended Devin Hedgepeth’s football career at Oklahoma State University, he had to reconsider a future he had spent years preparing for.

The School of Industrial Engineering and Management student redirected his focus toward a career beyond athletics, beginning a professional journey that would take him from industry experience to graduate school.

Today, Hedgepeth is putting those experiences to work in a new role as the owner of Floor Coverings International of The Woodlands near Houston, where he is building a business centered on personal service and relationships within the local community.

His journey reflects a lesson he learned long before becoming a business owner: A setback may change the path forward, but it does not have to determine what comes next.

Hedgepeth was studying industrial engineering in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology when his football career came to an end following his third injury on Sept. 15, 2012.

The transition was difficult. In earlier reflections on his experience, Hedgepeth described struggling with depression, anger and fear as he adjusted to life without football. He also credited the IEM faculty and staff with giving him space to work through the loss while encouraging him to move forward.

“My true calling was much deeper than the game of football,” Hedgepeth said. “It was to excel at whatever I chose to pursue.”

He graduated from OSU and began his corporate career at ExxonMobil. His subsequent professional experience at Bain and education at Stanford Graduate School of Business helped shape his understanding of leadership, operations and organizational performance.

Now, rather than working within large organizations, Hedgepeth is taking responsibility for building a local business of his own.

Building a business around people 

Hedgepeth chose Floor Coverings International in part because of the opportunity to work directly with people in his community.

The company provides in-home flooring consultations, allowing him to help customers make decisions about their homes while developing relationships beyond a traditional retail setting.

“I love being in the local community and inside people's homes, and FCI allows me to do that as an in-home free consultation service,” Hedgepeth said. “I am able to help people as the owner and have fun doing it.”

The franchise model also appealed to him because it provides access to established processes, guidance and a network of people who can help him navigate the challenges of running a business.

His background in industrial engineering and consulting provides a foundation for approaching those challenges, but Hedgepeth sees leadership as equally important to his success.

“Focus, dedication and consistency are key,” he said. “I learned all of those from my background. All three of those gave me the hard skills to succeed, but the most important are my soft skills through leadership.”

The combination of technical knowledge and people-centered leadership has shaped his approach to the business. While his education and professional experience taught him how to analyze problems and improve operations, owning a company requires him to bring people together around shared goals and deliver a reliable experience for customers.

Focusing on what comes next 

The uncertainty of entrepreneurship is not unlike the uncertainty Hedgepeth faced when his football career ended. In both situations, the future did not necessarily look the way he had expected.

His response to that uncertainty comes from a lesson his father taught him.

“There are so many unknowns and things that you cannot control in the business world and in life in general,” Hedgepeth said. “But my dad taught me to only focus on the things that you can control. If we as a company continue to move forward focusing on the little things and doing those right, then we will eventually find success.”

That philosophy influences his priorities as he works to grow Floor Coverings International of The Woodlands and establish a strong foundation for its future.

For Hedgepeth, progress does not depend on having all the answers at the outset. It depends on consistently doing the work, learning from experience and continuing forward when circumstances change.

It is also the message he would share with students facing unexpected setbacks or questioning whether their original career plans are still possible.

“Keep moving forward,” Hedgepeth said. “Success is typically awarded to those who do not give up.”

His journey offers a perspective for students preparing to enter engineering and other technical fields. Career paths rarely unfold exactly as planned, but the ability to learn and adapt can open doors to opportunities that once seemed out of reach.