The former Husker defensive end helped Nebraska win three national championships, and he also won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams.
Now the two-time All-American is aiming to be a champ in another arena.
Wistrom is one of the co-founders of Champ Roofing, which opened its doors in Lincoln in March.
The road to becoming a roofing company co-owner actually started with cannabis.
Wistrom, who is a medical marijuana advocate and helped open a dispensary in his home state of Missouri, has been involved in the effort to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska.
Through those efforts, he met Michael and Crystal Johnson of Lincoln, who have previously been involved in the cannabis business in Oregon and California.
Wistrom said Michael Johnson was looking for a non-cannabis business in Nebraska and decided roofing would be a good industry to get in.
When he asked Wistrom if he wanted to be a part of it, "I jumped at the opportunity to be involved," he said.
"I have been pretty guarded with what I lend my name to. It's pretty important to me," Wistrom said. "But it was kind of a no-brainer getting involved doing business with them based on the character they have."
Wistrom, who has experience in the real estate and mortgage industries, is focusing on marketing for Champ and will act as the face of the company.
But he's not just going to be a figurehead.
Wistrom is in the process of moving his family to Lincoln from Springfield, Missouri, and will be involved in the day-to-day operations.
"I think Grant's really a cheerleader and a cultural lead, and so, obviously when Grant comes around, everyone wants to hear what Grant has to say," said Crystal Johnson, Champ Roofing's president.
Johnson said she and her husband have a company that acquires other companies and were looking to get into the home services industry, which she said is an industry that's unlikely to be upended by technology and also is likely to see stable or increasing business because of climate change.
"It seemed like the perfect sort of industry to get in for the future," she said.
The Johnsons tapped not only Wistrom but some other strategic investors who have ties to real estate and insurance to help build the company.
They also hired Brett Walton as their general manager.
Walton has an extensive background in contracting and also owned his own roofing company in central Nebraska.
That stable of talent and experience has helped Champ Roofing hit the ground running.
Walton said having the connections with real estate and insurance agents has helped, but the company has also benefited from the several rounds of severe weather that have hit the area, damaging numerous roofs around the state. He noted that about 80% of Champ's business so far this year has come from insurance claims.
"This is a stressful situation for homeowners, and we want to make it as least stressful as possible," Walton said.
One of the ways they hope to do that is through offering good customer service.
Johnson said roofing is "an industry that's rife for disruption," because it is consistently rated as having the worst customer service record in the service industry.
"There's a lot of people seeking out a higher level of professionalism that is not necessarily available in the marketplace right now," Johnson said, "and we thought that was an easy thing. We could figure that out."
The focus on customer service seems to have worked so far. Walton said 78% of Champ's business in its first six months has come through customer referrals.
The company is based in Lincoln and that's its only office right now. But it is doing roofing jobs throughout the state and has plans to grow into other areas, especially Omaha.
"We want to be able to serve the state of Nebraska," Johnson said.
Having a former Husker star as one of its owners will certainly help that effort.
Champ Roofing President Crystal Johnson (from left), Co-Founder Grant Wistrom and General Manger Brett Walton stand for a portrait at their office near 40th Street and Normal Boulevard.