For his entire adult life, Britton Colquitt made a very good living on fourth down. He was one of the NFL’s best punters from 2010-2020, playing for three different teams and winning a Super Bowl along the way. But eventually, every professional athlete faces fourth down in his career. A time when the lights dim, the cheering stops and the band begins to fade.
“That was a big transition for me, as it is for many athletes,” says Colquitt. “Even though it becomes a job, and you get traded and cut, you’re blessed to be able to prolong childhood by playing a game. But the curse is that the longer you go, the harder it is to make that transition into real life.”
Colquitt comes from a famous football-playing family - he and his father, Craig, and his brother, Dustin, all punted at Tennessee before enjoying lengthy NFL careers – with each of them playing for a Super Bowl champion. “You know it’s coming but, while you’re playing, you don’t really think about what comes next. Then, when it’s over, you realize you’re 15 years behind your buddies who know how to do real life stuff. You walk down the street, no one calls your name anymore but you have to provide for your family in a way you never have before.”
Fortunately for Colquitt, he had a sturdy support system. “I was all-in with football, but it didn’t’ define me,” he says. “My identity was in God and Jesus Christ and my family.” He credits his wife, Nikki, for keeping him grounded. “From my very first year in the NFL to the very last, Nikki always asked me, ‘What are you going to do next?,’” says Colquitt. “I never had a good answer, but she gave me great advice and encouragement. She told me to find out what it is that I love to do; what is it that I’m passionate about. But she also told me I was the one who needed to figure it out. I hate to say it, but wives are always right.”
Perhaps his greatest passion was the new lifestyle that he and Nikki – both natives of East Tennessee – were creating for their four young children at their new home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida along the famous 30A. “It’s hard to explain but these are probably the prettiest beaches and water in the country - better than South Florida - but it still feels like a small town,” says Colquitt. “It’s a place where people can live and enjoy life. There are great schools and, even though a lot more people live here now, there’s so much space that it doesn’t feel overcrowded. We say ‘We can’t believe we live here’ a lot. Nikki calls it Mayberry at the beach.”
The Colquitts built their home in 2017 with the help of Jason Romair, one of the visionary developers in the communities of Watercolor, Seaside, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach. Their home was featured in the August 2019 issue of Southern Living and showcased the work of interior designers Anne Scott Shelley and Allison Smith of Maison Studios. Nikki and Britton struck up a friendship with Romair that proved to be the impetus for Colquitt’s second career.
About a year ago they were enjoying a bonfire together on the grounds of Kaiya Beach Resort, Romair’s bourgeoning community with a boutique hotel and more than $500 million in real estate for sale along 30A next to Alys Beach. “Jason looked at me and asked if I wanted to get into it and become a realtor,” says Colquitt. “And I knew immediately that I did. I wanted to be able to help other people enjoy the same experience that my family has.”
Colquitt began studying to become a real estate professional and, although he admits “it was a punch in the face having to open a book again!” he boasts proudly that he passed the state exam on his first attempt.
Today, Colquitt works under the Berkshire Hathaway Home Services umbrella. He specializes in Kaiya Beach Resort and is available to work with clients who are interested in other areas along 30A. “There is nothing like Kaiya Beach Resort, but it’s not for everyone,” says Britton. “I can find something for anyone in every level of their life.”
There’s also a common thread connecting Britton Colquitt the Realtor to Britton Colquitt the professional athlete. “My identity now is not as a realtor; it’s in helping people make their dreams come true,” he says. “I won’t sell something unless I genuinely believe in it. I can sell Kaiya because it is life-changing experience. But so are the other communities outside of Kaiya. I love this stretch of Florida so much, it just gives me great joy knowing that if I sell a house, I’ve changed a client’s life for the better. I’m not going for the money; I’m going for the life-changing experience, wherever that may be.”