One Big Family: In the NFL Collaboration is Key

By Jesse Shuter

Football is often called the ultimate team sport. It is unique in the sense that it takes so many different roles, body types and skill sets to get from point A to point B and have success as a team. That is why it should come as no surprise that this same teamwork philosophy reaches all the way upstairs to the PR department.

PR departments are tasked with not only representing the organization as a whole, but also individuals. The right way to handle an incident involving an individual player is not just to speak for that player, if their name is attached to the problem, let them be a part of the solution.

In an interview with Jacksonville Jaguars public relations manager Alex Brooks, we see that a PR department is there to be supportive first and foremost. “Every situation is different. We like to have an open and honest conversation with a player, assuming they are willing to do so. Depending on the issue, we often have those conversations but can be delegated as well. We always allow the player to have input when statements or quotes are attached to their name,” said Brooks.

While some professionals are willing to look around the league and offer their advice or wisdom in a time of need, this year, 2020, has shown that uniting throughout league cannot be done enough.

“We’re always willing to help and offer advice to our colleagues around the league,” said Brooks. “The NFL is often one big family. We’re always taking notes on other situations that arise and have built strong relationships with counterparts at other teams because our experiences are so comparable sometimes”.

Sometimes an experience is directly unique to a team. The Washington Football Team, formerly known by their mascot with a derogatory connection to Native Americans, went through a process the likes of which the league has never seen. Even without a prior incident for which to base their steps on, they certainly could have looked around the league for advice or help. People like Brooks are all around the league and willing to help their family.