THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021 Page 7 Jarick Walker describes rise to success in NFL By Christopher Roberson J arick Walker recently shared the path that took him from playing a handful of college football games to becoming the talent and marketing manager for the NFL. Growing up in Hyde Park, Walker spent two years as a linebacker for Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury. Following high school, he went on to play football for Boston College. Although he only played in six games, Walker still valued the experience of competing on the collegiate level. “When I was there, I walked onto the football team, which was crazy,” he said during a May 13 question and answer session sponsored by Everett High School. After graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in human development, Walker was unsure about his plans for the future. “I was a young 20-something and had no idea what life had to off er,” he said. However, he found a home with Boston Scholar Athletes and remained with the organization for four years. “From there, I took a risk,” he said, adding that he wanted to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Therefore, he started working at the Nike Store on Newbury Street in Boston to save enough money for his move to southern California. However, something unexpected began to transpire. “What ended up happening was I began climbing the ranks at Nike,” he said. Eventually, Walker was transferred out of the retail division and took a marketing position at Nike’s Boston offi ce. Despite his success in Boston, Walker had not forgotten about the West Coast. Therefore, he would periodically travel to Nike LA to pitch ideas for mardoing things. “Every day when I go to work, I feel like I’m on this mission to change the narrative,” he said. Following the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the league’s CFO, Joseph Siclare, off ered to speak with any employee who needed to talk. Walker was one of the few who took Siclare up on his off er. “I shared how we need to be bold; you can’t tiptoe around this topic,” said Walker. “I broke down in tears afterward. I felt that he listened.” $2.39 GALLON We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover Price Subject to Change without notice 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 JARICK WALKER keting campaigns. Three years later, his eff orts paid off when Nike off ered him the opportunity to go to Los Angeles. However, life in southern California was much diff erent than life in Boston. “It was a night and day experience,” said Walker. During his two years with Nike LA, Walker organized a road race in Inglewood, California, a community that was still recovering from a crack cocaine epidemic which struck during the 1980s. “We shut down a freeway to have a race,” he said. Although Walker had the opportunity to take a position at Nike’s corporate offi ce in Oregon, he opted to go work for the NFL, where he has remained for the past year and a half. As the league’s talent and marketing manager, Walker said, one of his primary responsibilities is to attract younger fans. “It’s defi nitely hard; it’s an uphill battle,” he said. “A lot of people think the NBA is the biggest league in the country – the NFL far outpaces what the NBA is doing.” He has also worked with a number of celebrities in this capacity, including Kevin Hart, Cole Bennett, Lil Wayne, Desi Banks and Lil Baby. Although the NFL has a much greater corporate culture than Nike, Walker said, he has always tested the boundaries and strived to fi nd diff erent ways of AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is your vehicle ready for the Summer Season?!! Recharge your vehicle's AC for the warm weather! Includes up to 1 LB. of Refrigerant* (*Most Vehicles/Some Restrictions May Apply) AC SPECIAL Only $69.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2005 FORD F-150 XLT Excellent Vehicle Inside & Out!, Leather Interior, Fully Loaded, Clean Title, Warranty, Only 68,000 Miles! TRADES WELCOME! X-CAB EDITION, 4X4, Most Power Options, Clean Title, Warranty, Only 105K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! TRADES WELCOME! $5,300 $7,995 (781) 321-8841 • (617) 571-9869 Easy Financing Available! 1236 EasternAve • Malden EddiesAutotech.com Vehicle! We Pay Cash For Your 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ
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