Whitney Mercilus ’25 MBA

Calling his own plays at Kellogg 

Whether facing off against Tom Brady on the 20-yard line or negotiating a commercial real estate deal, Whitney Mercilus ’25 MBA brings the same discipline and drive to every arena.  

Before he became the CEO and founder of Merci Capital, Whitney was a 10-year veteran of the NFL, suiting up for both the Houston Texans and the Green Bay Packers. He began his commercial real estate career in 2013 when he acquired a Whataburger, a Texas fast food chain with a cult following.  

“That was the first time that I realized I can earn a check without having to hit a 300-pound guy and risk my body being battered,” Whitney recalls. “When I started to see those checks roll in from the investment that I made, it was like, ‘Huh, there’s something to this.’” 

Whitney retired from the NFL at just 30 years old and recognized the decades of possibility ahead of him. As he began to consider his next steps, he made a conscious decision to recalibrate and examine where he was, where he wanted to go and how to bridge the gap. 

“Before I even applied to any school, I had to reassess everything in my life,” Whitney says.  
He knew from his time in the NFL that success comes from the work you do behind the scenes, so after a period of reflection, Whitney found himself looking into Executive MBA programs across the country.  

A Kellogg kind of guy  

Whitney considered a few options for his EMBA, but when someone told him that he was “a Kellogg guy,” the comment stuck. With his wife’s encouragement, he went all in on Kellogg and chose not to apply anywhere else.  

“I wanted the best,” Whitney says. “I’ve been able to play with the best. I’ve been around the best in my previous career. So, for me it was about finding the absolute best.” 

Whitney brought the same all-in mindset to his EMBA cohort in Chicago. He embraced the values of the school while soaking up practical knowledge about business, finance and leadership. As his program progressed, Whitney gained insight into what it truly means to be a "Kellogg guy."  

“Being a 'Kellogg guy' is being a little more empathetic in the world,” Whitney says. “You can be super intelligent, but if people don’t want to be around you, don’t like to interact with you, to work with you or for you, the path gets a little short. You start to silo yourself.” 

A 90-minute mindset  

Even with a decade of NFL training under his belt, Whitney does not downplay the rigor of earning an MBA at Kellogg. He dove headfirst into the program while still leading Merci Capital as a CEO and planning his wedding. Amid competing priorities, Whitney says the support of his professors and classmates is what kept him afloat. 

“Kellogg understands the plight of the executive trying to balance school and work and family. You think you’re going to be able to figure things out and capture everything, but some things are going to drop off and you have to be able to be comfortable with that.” 

The discipline that carried Whitney through ten seasons in the NFL is the same one that guided him through his MBA journey. He approached Kellogg the same way he approached the game: one play, one class, one 90-minute stretch at a time.  

“There’s certainly been some pressure along the way,” Whitney says. “But pressure makes diamonds.”