Profiles in Sport – Hillary Jeffries

Welcome back to The Campus Game.

This is the third in a series of “Careers in Sport” profiles. The purpose of these profiles is to provide regular Campus Game readers, and college students interested in pursuing sport-related careers, with authentic information from both seasoned and new practitioners working in sports.

We are not limiting our subjects to one specific area of sport; instead the purpose is to highlight a range of potential career avenues.

Our previous subjects included Chuck Dunlap – Associate Director of Media and Public Relations for the Southeastern Conference, and Claude Felton – Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Communication at the University of Georgia.

Today’s profile is Hillary Jeffries of the National Football Foundation.

Name: Hillary Jeffries

Organization

National Football Foundation

Current Position

Director of Special Projects

Previous Positions

National Football Foundation/Special Projects and Communications Assistant

Educational Background

B.S. in Journalism from West Virginia University
M.S. in Sport Management from West Virginia University

Summary of Position/Job Responsibilities

Responsible for the complete oversight of the College Football Hall of Fame nomination and voting process, as well as running the National Football Foundation’s National Scholar-Athlete Program.

Most Enjoyable Aspects of Your Position

I’m consumed by college football year-round; I love getting to work with athletics departments from around the country; I enjoy the research aspect of my job and learning more about all of the Hall of Fame and scholar-athlete nominees each year.

Most Challenging Aspects of Your Position

In the fall, it can get pretty hard trying to balance scholar-athlete nominations with preparations for our Annual Awards Dinner in December. It just never seems like there’s enough time in the day.

Biggest Influence on Your Career

Surprisingly, my older sister, who knows absolutely nothing about sports, is probably the biggest influence on my career. We work in completely different fields, which allows me to get a fresh perspective on things when need be. She’s encouraging and not afraid to give me constructive criticism; she just challenges me to be better, personally and professionally.

Busiest Time of Year

Football season. No question.

To Unwind and Relax I …

Spend time with friends and get out in the sunshine as much as possible.

Advice for Students (or those seeking to work in sports)

Never think any job is too small for you. Approach everything with a positive attitude and look at even the most minor of tasks as a necessary step in reaching your ultimate goals.