Behind The Scenes of The New England Patriots

Stacey James - Vice President of Media Relations, New England Patriots

Stacey James attended Washington State University, graduating with a Bachelors of Communications.

While at Washington State, he held a public relations position within the sports information
department, as well as earning the opportunity to intern with New York Jets for a year
before finishing his degree.

During his time in the sports media industry, he has further developed his communications
and public relations skills, allowing him to gain further opportunities. He supports this
by saying, “The number one way how to get hired is to set yourself apart from the other
candidates applying.” He adds, “As you get older, this task gets harder as everyone is very
experienced and good at what they do.” Nonetheless, James assures that while a daunting task,
the idea of working in the NFL is possible.

Subsequently, in order to stand out, one must discover creative ways to display their resume

in front of the communications and human relations teams. One examples James notes is in the

case of an individual who submitted their resume in a box of chocolates.

Not only did this idea stand apart from other candidates, it showed the applicant had the desire to

go the extra mile. This is significant as it provided an applicable example of how I can also separate

myself in the application process among thousands of other potential professionals.

Secondly, Stacey James earned internships with multiple NFL and NBA teams during
his time as a student. Through these experiences, James took the time to develop friendships
with his supervisors and relationships with his peers. Further, he utilized these connections
when he graduated to earn other professional opportunities in the sports media world. This
is a prime example as to why networking is essential to gaining a position
with a professional sports team.

Specifically in the NFL, there are currently 32 teams with 32 communications departments. As

they  each work under the umbrella of the NFL, they work closely to assure consistency in their

brand image. With this closely knit culture, there is a good chance that the Director of Communications

of one team is in close communication with another. James supports this by saying,

“Sometimes just mentioning a name on your references or in a cover letter could land you a job,

as this shows you have worked for a respected individual of the league.” This statement rang true

for James who claims the Vice President of Communications for the New York helped support

him in landing a position with another NFL team.

Interestingly enough, I know Stacey James from a past experience in which I interviewed for a

season internship with the Patriots in May 2018. Following the interview, I stayed in touch with him

and maintained our relationship. Following this latest interview, I feel as though I am better informed

on how to differentiate myself to employers. I learned first hand how important it is to not only build

contacts, but to also consistently follow up with my connections for future opportunities. He gave me

multiple examples of individuals that he has previously hired based on the fact they kept in contact with

him over the years. I’m looking forward to keeping Stacey James as a contact and following up with him

as a connection throughout my career in sports.