Happy Thanksgiving: A Listener's Guide to the Show

I hope you, as a reader of this website and listener of Up Close In Personnel with Alex Brown, had a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!

What a time to be alive? 2020 is the year everyone jokes about throwing away, but we must continually seek the good in these moments. Whether that's being grateful for even having a football season, a job or health and wellness, we all have something to be grateful for.

For me, during this time, I've been able to spend so much time learning from amazing guests of this show and reflecting on my own experiences in the football industry. I wanted to take this week off to look back on the insights from previous guests and organize them by category, so you as a listener can go directly to whatever it is you're most interested in!

Many of these podcast episodes overlap into other categories, but here's the breakdown of what we've covered thus far!

PLAYER PERSONNEL

In line with the name of the show, player personnel is a big topic of intrigue on this show.

The breakdown of these episodes, goes from big picture (roster building) to more nitty, gritty (evaluation process). By having a good understanding of the mechanics behind building a college football or pro football roster and how to identify/assess talent, you should be well on your way to working in a player personnel department at any level. Each episode will be hyper linked to the podcast below!

Roster Building: For the aspiring DPP or General Manager!

• Ep. 31 - Bobby Merritt - Assessing Value & Defining Roles in Personnel

• Ep. 30 - Ethan Johnson - Finding the "Fit" & Projecting Talent

• Ep. 26 - Eric Galko - Scouting in the XFL & Roster Construction

• Ep. 10 - Matt Lindsey - The Role of a GM & The Art of Team Building

• Ep. 9 - Jonny Kovach - The Numbers Game: Roster Management

Evaluating: For the aspiring NFL or College Scout!

• Ep. 24 - Neil Stratton - Inside the NFL Scouting Industry

• Ep. 22 - Steve Palazzolo - PFF & The Role of Analytics in Football

• Ep. 20 - Dane Brugler - Challenges Facing Scouts During COVID-19

• Ep. 19 - Darrick Yray - Evaluating Insights, Last Chance U & Transfer Recruiting

• Ep. 14 - John Peterson (Part 2) - Player Personnel Departments in College

• Ep. 8 - Gaizka Crowley - FBS vs FCS & Knowing the Recruiting Landscape

• Ep. 5 - Eron Hodges - Breaking Down the Evaluation Process

RECRUITING

This section was the most difficult to organize and breakdown, because we literally covered everything!

The three categories I came up with are: relationships, branding, and philosophy. If you have a firm grasp on these three things, you'll be able to effectively organize a recruiting department, market effectively and close on your targeted recruits!

For the recruits out there reading this, PLEASE check out every one of these episodes. Each guest will give you a behind the scenes look of how the process actually works, which can help you ask better questions and know what to look for as you experience recruiting.

Relationship Building: For the aspiring lead recruiter on how to connect with recruits!

• Ep. 28 - Marshall Cherrington - The Importance of Relationships in Recruiting

• Ep. 25 - Jordan Arcement - Making the Connection

• Ep. 18 - Omar Hales - Lessons Learned in Life & Recruiting

• Ep. 1 - Bryan Carrington - Building Relationships with College Recruiters

Branding & Marketing: For the aspiring recruiter on branding yourself and your program!

• Ep. 29 - Joe Price - Program Culture & Branding in the Recruiting Process

• Ep. 17 - Ashton Washington - Building Your Personal "LinkedIn"

• Ep. 16 - Calvin Anderson - The Player's Perspective: Life, Ball & NIL

• Ep. 11 - Trey Johnson - Gameplanning & Strategy Involved in Recruiting

Overview & Philosophy: For the aspiring recruiting director!

• Ep. 15 - Austin Schaffer - Winning Your In-State Battles

• Ep. 13 - John Peterson (Part 1) - Keys to Success in College Football Recruiting

• Ep. 12 - Carina Hargreaves - Inside the Process of Coordinating Campus Visits

• Ep. 7 - Jesse Ornelas - Junior College Recruiting, Last Chance U & Lessons Learned

• Ep. 6 - Yogi Roth - Living & Listening Like Your Life Depends On It

• Ep. 3 - Ed Jones - Maximizing Your On-Campus Experience

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This last section is my personal favorite, because I couldn't box any of these episodes into personnel or recruiting -they're just really, really good for personal growth and development!

Whether it's Lucas Jadin on unlocking yourself mentally, Joe Price on how to stand out as a professional and network effectively, James Casey on overcoming adversity and being a high achiever, or two incredible baseball coaches, Tony Cappuccilli and Trip Couch on building winning teams, each of these shows will bring you tons of value!

Mental Skills & Mindset

• Ep. 23 - Lucas Jadin - Unlocking Yourself Mentally

• Ep. 4 - Joe Price - Networking with Impact & The Role of HS Recruiting Coordinator

• Ep. 2 - James Casey - Making the Jump to the Next Level

Baseball Crossover

• Ep. 27 - Tony Cappuccilli - Inside the LA Dodgers & Developing "Homegrown" Talent

• Ep. 21 - Trip Couch - Baseball Crossover in Recruiting & Evaluating

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