Jenna Black, C’25

Jenna Black, C’25, grew up around football. The daughter of a coach—her father, Robert, was Sewanee’s head football coach from 2007 to 2010—some of her earliest memories are of scenes at McGee Field at Harris Stadium. Nearly two decades on, she’s still finding herself on the sidelines of a football field. Only this time, she’s looking for a way to turn her longtime passion into a career.

For the past two summers, Black has served as an intern on the operations team for Vanderbilt University’s football program. Tasked with managing the expansive list of logistics required to run a major NCAA Division I athletic program, Black and her colleagues did everything from coordinating fall season travel, to setting up summer camp needs, to running the clock during pre-season practice. Depending on the day, Black might have to show up early in the morning to assist at a workout, or stay late to view film or help with running numbers and analytics.

All that time spent on site also put her in the orbit of a slew of recognizable faces. Several players on the Tennessee Titans, Black’s favorite NFL team, would work out at Vanderbilt’s facilities. In June, Vanderbilt hosted Tight End University, a three-day summit for NFL tight ends co-founded by Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. On an unforgettable afternoon, Black got to sit in on one of Kelce’s film sessions.

But perhaps the most familiar face Black encountered over the summer belonged to someone she had known for much longer. Alfonza Knight, C’12 (pictured with Black), happened to visit Vanderbilt one day in his capacity as an area scout for the Arizona Cardinals. A former Sewanee football player who had been coached by Black’s father, Knight recognized Black and the two caught up in one of the last places they had expected to reconnect. “I remember looking up to him when I was a kid, and I saw him as a role model,” says Black. “It was so good to see him again, and to see someone who graduated from Sewanee doing what I hope to do for my career.”

After two summers spent in the whirlwind of elite-level athletics—and a lifelong stint as a fan—Black is more sure than ever that her future lies in football. Her front-row seat to the inner workings of a major football program allowed her to experience both the environment’s intensity and its rewards, and she made connections with people who helped her to see the variety of paths available to her—especially, she notes, the large number of women forging careers within the organization.

Regardless of the specific role she’ll ultimately take on, Black will begin her career having already experienced the positive, supportive culture that she’ll hope to emulate. “[Vanderbilt Head Football] Coach [Clark] Lea would always talk about how we need to ‘recreate positive energy,’ and how our attitudes affect the others around us,” says Black. “It’s stuck with me, and is something I won’t forget.”