Jake Plummer’s on the run these days, which isn’t a surprise given that’s the way the former Arizona State and Cardinals quarterback played football, flitting here and there.

There’s family life with three kids whose interests range from hiking, dancing and LEGOs to collecting stamps and coins.

There’s business life, promoting a relative new venture designed to help coaches and players, from the youth to NFL levels, to create, teach and learn offensive game plans.

And there’s the link to Arizona State, the Cardinals and the state of Arizona, which remains strong. Plummer is the official starter for the 15th annual Pat’s Run on April 27, which benefits the foundation named after Pat Tillman, a former teammate of Plummer’s at ASU and with the Cardinals.

“I’m honored,” Plummer said from his home in Denver. “My experiences with him are near and dear, and I love his family and everything they stand for and been through.

“All these people carrying on in Pat’s spirit, I get to say, ‘Let’s go now. Go run.’ I’m going to wield some power, man.”

Plummer isn’t big into guessing how Tillman would have reacted to various situations, including politics and sports, but feels comfortable believing Tillman would be amazed at the growth of the race, which is sold out at 28,000 participants.

“What it does for me is it brings a lot of teammates and acquaintances back together,” Plummer said. “That’s really Pat’s spirit. He would love that we’re all giving each other hugs, seeing each other, and, again, doing what Pat asked people to do: get off your ass and go do something. Even if you’re slow, go run. Go get better as a person.”

Plummer has been on that quest since abruptly retiring from football in 2006 at age 32. It’s not that he hated the sport, but he was ready to move on and try different things.

He played around a bit in real estate, still advocates for the medicinal benefits of cannabis and tried his hand as a radio and television broadcaster.

“I was tired of football when I got done,” said Plummer, 44. “I was over it. I had my hips operated on and when I got that done, I was in kind of a space of ‘What’s next? What am I going to do now?’”

Around that time, Chad Friehauf, a friend and former teammate with the Broncos, approached Plummer about ReadyList Sports, a product Friehauf created that digitized offensive football playbooks.

“Genius idea,” Plummer called it.

So Friehauf and Plummer partnered and have worked to develop, refine and sell ReadyList’s services to those working at all levels of football.

Under former head coach Adam Gase, the Dolphins used ReadyList, as has the University of Louisville.

But the business really is in its infancy, and one of Plummer’s main tasks is spreading the word. When he’s in Arizona for Pat’s Run, Plummer also plans to address a group of high school coaches about the benefits of the system.

A version for youth coaches has been available for awhile, and Plummer and Friehauf expect an app for high school coaches and players to be approved soon.

 “We’re targeting everybody, youth all the way up to the pros,” Plummer said. “Kids love it. It’s ‘game-ified’ just enough that they can feel like they are playing a video game, but then it gives them a chance to study the plays and know what to do when they jump out of mom’s Suburban and step on to the field.”

Coaches can learn quickly how to navigate the system, Plummer said, and can create a playbook for 15 plays or so in an hour. Or a neophyte coach can use playbooks already in the system.

Players can study and test their knowledge at home, with coaches being able to see the results. That helps coaches determine just how much players have absorbed, which makes practice time more efficient.

“It’s similar to the Rosetta Stone for language,” Plummer said. “It’s a great way to assess your team without going out in a walk-through because one kid can’t remember the play. You’re wasting time on one kid when you should be able to assess that before stepping out on the field.”

The price for the service is far from exorbitant. According to the website http://readylistsports.com/readylist-youth/, a youth team would pay $200 a season for 20 individual accounts.

“You know me well enough, I can’t sit here and make some parent or coach spend half their budget on it,” Plummer said. “I want to provide a tool for them to use. In time, if we increase the price it will be because we’re adding defense and special teams.

“Our goal is to get corporations to pay for a whole league. Once we can get that, it’s an easy sell.”

As he attempts to market his product, Plummer has marveled at how complicated the game has become even for youngsters. Kids are being overloaded, he said, and ReadyList wants to ease the burden.

“Now they have 8-year-olds going through multiple reads on offense,” he said. “Most 8-year-olds are still learning the correct way to pick their noses without making them bleed, let alone friggin’ going through three reads on every play.

“We’ve created an interactive digital piece that’s going to change the game.”

Reach Kent Somers at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers. Hear Somers every Monday between 4 and 4:30 p.m. on The Drive with Jody Oehler on Fox Sports 910 AM.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.