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BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 27, 2019)-Seven Morgan State student-athletes were amongst a total of 95 students from Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), who participated in the fourth annual NFL Careers in Football Forum, alongside the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 19-21.
 
Each attendee was nominated to attend by their respective university or athletic conference leadership. In attendance for Morgan State were Demerius Goodwin, Josh Chase and Stefan Touani (football), Maya McIntyre (softball) and Anaya Monroe, Destiny Thompson (track and field) and Nihit Rawal (tennis).
 
"Each year, the NFL Careers in Football Forum brings together talented, bright minds to learn and explore the potential for opportunities in professional football," said Natara Holloway, Vice President of Football Strategy and Business Development. "This program is one of the most important ways we engage with the HBCU community and helps to grow a more diverse and inclusive workforce across the league."
 
Hosted annually with ESPN, the Careers in Football Forum serves to provide professional development and networking opportunities for HBCU students. Through this effort, students from participating institutions have the opportunity to engage with League and club executives and learn about career opportunities available to them in all areas of professional football.
 
The Forum also teaches participants also the skills needed to secure employment and allows the league to assist them in becoming strong candidates for open positions.
 
While at the Forum, participants competed in a group case study competition. Made up of eight groups, the competition required students to present on one of the following topics selected by NFL clubs: Diversity Among Front Office Staff; HBCU fan Engagement; Engaging Local University Students; Maintaining Employee Retention; Diversity and Inclusion Employee Engagement Plan; Cyber Security, Fan Safety and Stadium Security Plan; Social Media Engagement Plan; Engaging Women Supporters.
 
Each group presented its case study to a panel of NFL and club executives. The first and second-place winners were recognized during a dinner reception held at the College Football Hall of Fame. Select participants will win the opportunity to complete an NFL Experienceship at the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Fla.
 
The NFL Experienceship program aims to connect, develop and provide diverse collegiate and professional participants with opportunities to learn about the business of sports through practical hands-on learning experiences at NFL Tentpole events, partnership activations and research projects.
 
Since 2016, the NFL Careers in Football Forum has introduced more than 270 students and entry-level athletic department administrators to career opportunities in professional football through collaboration with all four HBCU athletic conferences in tandem with the Celebration Bowl.
 
Click here to learn more about NFL Careers In Football Forum.
Click here to learn more about the NFL and HBCUs.
 
NFL Operations contributed to this release.
 
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.