If someone had told me a year ago that I would be working for an NFL team upon graduation, I would have thought they were pulling my leg. If someone had went a step further and said: ‘Calyssa, you’re not only going to work for an NFL team, you’re going to move across the country from Chapel Hill, NC to Detroit, MI and work for the Detroit Lions,” I would have been completely stunned. You see, I’m new to Detroit. In fact, I’m new to the state of Michigan. My first time in Michigan was in May for the Challenge Detroit interview trip. Yet, as a military brat growing up, I always said “Home is Where the Army Sends Me,” and I have adopted this mindset here in Detroit; Detroit is home now.
Working for the Lions has been nothing short of amazing. Not only do I get to attend every home game (we’ve won both home games so far!), I also get the opportunity to work in Ford Field everyday, a state of the art stadium in the heart of downtown Detroit. People always ask me: “Well, what do you do with the Lions?” Overall, I assist with the development and coordination of marketing materials and promotions; I assist the partnership department with account management of Detroit Lions sponsors; and I work with the Community Relations department for integration into games with significant community involvement.
Specifically on game day, I supervise 8 fan ambassadors who are responsible for greeting fans at different tailgate locations and during the game. For our September 29th game I played an even larger role! The NFL mandated that Week 3 for all 32 NFL teams be dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month the Detroit Lions honored Mary Luevanos, a Latina artist, and her work with Young Nation, a non-profit that promotes the holistic development of youth in Southwest Detroit. I was responsible for most of the details regarding her award, down to writing the script for the in stadium presentation. I must say, the coolest part was escorting Mary onto the field. Not only did I have a chance to be on the field pre-game for warm ups, I also had a chance to mingle with Mary, her friend Gloria, her son Johnny, and the director of Young Nation, Erik Howard. I plan on keeping in touch with them and volunteering in Southwest Detroit.
Gloria, Roary, Johnny and I pregame on the sideline!
Besides game day, I also had the opportunity to meet Bruce Katz, a Vice President of the Brookings Institution and Founding Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. As a Public Policy Major in college I was ecstatic for this opportunity. Mr. Katz knows EVERYTHING there is to know about American cities. He is truly an expert. After speaking at the Techonomy conference he came to Ford Field to give a presentation on Detroit, its future, and what the Lions can do to assist in the Detroit revitalization. I received a signed copy of his book: The Metropolitan Revolution.
Bruce Katz and I
So, that’s how my first few weeks with the Lions have been like. I have learned so much about sports marketing, running a national football team, and what it really takes to put on a game. I am excited to see what else is in store!
A remark that a Vikings fan made to me at our season opener really stuck with me, and I’m going to close with his comment. He said, “You know, I gotta tell you, this city isn’t all bad. People need to come experience it for themselves. This is my first time in Detroit and I’ll definitely be back.” I know exactly what he means. There is something special about this place. Despite its struggles, which all major cities have, Detroit is the place to be, and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to experience it for myself. So, as the Detroit Lions say:
One Detroit. One Pride.
