Smith Soaks in NCAA's Career in Sports Forum

by Marshal Lamb
UNI Athletic Communications Intern

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Thanks to an NCAA sports forum, UNI football player Brandon Smith has seen how he can put his passion to work.

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Smith, a Lee's Summit, Mo., native was chosen to attend the Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis from June 1-4.

"When attending this forum, I was a human sponge. I wanted to soak up as much information I could," Smith said.

School administrators were asked to nominate campus leaders interested in pursuing careers in athletics. An NCAA committee chose nearly 225 student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II and III schools to participate in the forum.

"We identified Brandon as a student-athlete who would benefit greatly from this experience," said athletic adviser Andrea Greve. "Brandon has expressed interest in continuing his career in the sports industry."

Smith experienced a variety of the ins and outs of the NCAA and learned the importance of networking.

"It is more than a handshake and thank you," Smith said. "You need to keep in touch and have an impact. You never know what connections that one person has."

The 12-hour days were filled with speakers and panels. Several speakers and officials were former student-athletes. Smith admitted he was overwhelmed throughout the process, but he quickly realized he needed to take this in as an experience of a lifetime.

"I have the passion, and I know what it takes," Smith said.

"Supporting NCAA student-athlete leaders with their education is a key goal for the Association," said Bernard Franklin, NCAA executive vice president of education and community engagement and chief inclusion officer. "Our Career in Sports Forum puts student-athletes, postgraduate scholarship recipients in a non-traditional academic setting where they can learn directly from successful leaders, which can have a positive impact on their future after graduation."

Smith has seen past and present teammates hurt on and off the field. Brandon sees himself working with student-athlete advancement in the classroom in regards to mental health.

A transfer from North Dakota State School of Science, Smith set out to make an impact on and off the field at UNI. He is pursuing a degree in exercise science.

"It was a blessing to represent and attend," Smith said.

The Kansas City area native never thought he would be here. Smith emphasizes time and how precious it is.

"You have one moment, to make a choice," Smith said.

These are now words Smith lives by.

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