Feeling Kneady

Bills Cornerback Troy Vincent has packed a lot into his 34 years. He has made five Pro Bowls; he and his wife, Tommi, have five children; he's president of the NFL Players Association; and he operates three New Jersey--based businesses he started when he played for the Eagles. There's Eltekon financial services; Troy Vincent Development and Construction; and what is no doubt his most invigorating enterprise: Essence, the Ewing, N.J., spa where Vincent himself goes for a little pampering. His favorite treatment: the stress buster massage ($30), a normally half-hour procedure concentrating on the head, neck, shoulders and back. "I love to extend the stress buster to 90 minutes," he says, "so I can fall asleep and wake up relaxed."

Vincent, who majored in urban planning at Wisconsin, and Tommi, a licensed cosmetologist, opened the spa in 1999 after her hair-cutting business outgrew their basement. They took over a dilapidated pizza joint and transformed it into what Troy calls a "city day spa." Essence provides a full menu of services, including a sports manicure (above). Among the clients: former Eagles Hugh Douglas and Bobby Taylor. "We try to run a first-class business--no televisions, no cellphones, and the only time money is exchanged is at the front desk," Vincent says.

Vincent's business acumen has led to speculation that he may one day succeed NFLPA boss Gene Upshaw or be commissioner. But he has his "heart set on owning my own [ NFL] franchise," he says. And, just as you might expect from a man in the massage business, he adds, "I want to be very hands-on."