By John Ingoldsby, Player Engagement Insider
It was ladies’ night last week in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers “Women of Red” hosted “The Invasion,” and team’s Director of Player Engagement (DPE) Duke Preston was front and center.
“This second annual event is part of our initiative to focus on the women of Tampa Bay and increase their enjoyment of our club by learning about the inner workings of football,” said Preston, adding, “It was a really cool opportunity to get an inside look at what we do.”
Cool indeed as more than 1,000 fans, including males, poured into Raymond James Stadium’s East Club for a variety of insights including hearing Preston provide a Rookie Rundown, the team nutritionist talk about diet, the club’s cap expert discuss contracts, and even attend a panel discussion by Bucs legends former defensive backs John Lynch and Ronde Barber.
Additionally, the throng could also visit the Draft war room and the equipment room, where they got to try on pads and equipment.
For Preston, the evening resembled a trade show format with a non-stop parade of groups both large and small stopping by his station for discussion and a two-way Q&A.
“It was a great chance to share with them what the team’s programming looks like for rookies, and after three-and-a-half hours of talking with several hundred people, I needed a throat lozenge,” quipped the former center with the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys who retired in 2010.
“They asked very insightful questions like, ‘What’s the hardest thing about trying to get through to young players?” which I answered, but then I also solicited their input as to what they thought the hardest thing might be,” explained the University of Illinois graduate, adding that this type of exchange helped him understand fans’ perceptions.
“It was an opportunity for me to dispel myths that may exist while also describing what players deal with in meeting their many obligations,” pointed out Preston, noting these responsibilities include rookie programs ranging from mental wellness and finances to culinary classes and community service.
“Many of the attendees seemed pleased to hear about the existence of our programs, which have the ultimate objective of making them men of character by having them ask themselves, ‘Who am I’ and ‘What do I stand for?”
John Ingoldsby is the President and Founder of IIR Sports, Inc. a sports media firm based in Boston. He has covered the NFL throughout his career that began as a newspaper reporter/editor, which includes articles in Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine (NFL Player Engagement), London-based Financial Times newspaper (NFL's international strategy), the Philadelphia Daily News (annual NFC Coaches Breakfast) and the Boston Globe (Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll).