Adam Schefter, ESPN’s NFL insider, spoke to students Wednesday about the importance of people skills, passion and preparedness. Schefter, who attended Medill’s graduate program, shared stories to a full McCormick Tribune Center Forum about his career as an NFL reporter, noting the importance of fostering relationships and trust with sources.
“I believe that relationships that are built - through time, through trust, through experience - enhance the job,” Schefter said.
Though his past aspirations included being a Major League Baseball reporter and a newspaper columnist, Schefter he would not have reached his current position at ESPN without facing rejection along the way.
“Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is for someone to tell you no,” Schefter said.
Yet while Schefter may have been rejected initially, his career has certainly hit a high point. The 46-year-old is perhaps ESPN’s most recognizable NFL figure, and he currently appears on SportsCenter, NFL Live, NFL32, Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. For Schefter, even the constant work and barrage of tweets he receives can’t dampen his passion for his work. Since he has had to make sacrifices throughout his career, including working on holidays and missing his Northwestern graduation, Schefter emphasized the need to enjoy one’s work.
“When you’re picking your profession, make sure it’s something you care about,” Schefter said. “It’s going to be a part of you. Why not love what you do?”
Still, Schefter made it clear that passion and love will not necessarily lead straight to success. Instead, one’s reputation and ability to remain dedicated are the qualities that matter most.
“Your reputation does precede you, and your reputation is very valuable,” Schefter said.
Originally a newspaper man, which Schefter said is like “bringing your lunch pail to work everyday,” he now works almost exclusively on television. However, Schefter said the advantages of the occasional opportunities to work on air before he arrived at his first broadcast job, at NFL Network, could not have been more helpful. Still, even in today’s industry, Schefter said he thinks every writer should begin at a newspaper.
Schefter said any journalist can go far if they can write concisely, a skill he said was heavily emphasized during his time at Medill. While the means of breaking and reporting news in a news cycle “on steroids” may change, the keys to being successful will not, Schefter said. If people have the people skills, the passion, and the preparedness necessary, Schefter believes in their futures in any industry.
“I would say this to anybody, in any field,” Schefter said. “You can do whatever you want.”