How the transferable skills from Jeff Chandler's NFL experience kicked off his Fanatics Career

Nearly 20-years after walking away from his experience with the National Football League (NFL) as a kicker, Jeff Chandler still finds himself in a fast-paced, sports role that requires him to be level-headed and confident no matter the setting, or his emotions.

Chandler is a Director of Partnership Development for Fanatics – and his four-year experience as a kicker in the NFL paved the way for his 16-year career at Fanatics.

"It's important to come at every situation level-headed, making decisions based on the facts and data rather than emotion," says Chandler. "This was a skill I had to maintain as a kicker on the football field – never letting my emotions get too high or too low."

Chandler is right – and he did an excellent job at recognizing the skills from football that were applicable to the business world.

So, he transferred them.

Today, the former San Francisco 49ers kicker spends his day-to-day identifying and understanding trends across the sports landscape, hosting calls with schools, managing strategic relationships with partners, and collaborating across the Fanatics' organization.

In other words, he spends his days studying, being adaptable to things in and outside of his control and being a great teammate.

Q: "What would you tell NFL Legends who are interested in exploring a career with Fanatics?"

“It’s a great place for those who want to stay in the sports world but aren’t sure in what capacity,” says Chandler. “This is because the passion you have for sports plays a crucial role, translating over to the fans.”

Q: "What are some of the transferable skills from football to a career with Fanatics, Sales or Business Development?"

“It (Fanatics) is moving incredibly fast, growth-wise. Skillsets and responsibilities are constantly evolving. I mention this because constantly evolving is a vital skill required in football,” says Chandler. “Similar to football, Fanatics is a place where we need to make decisions relatively quickly with 100% commitment, all while being adaptable to sudden changes in the industry.”

Chandler has a point, drawing upon his skills from the NFL to master the art of being quick on his feet while putting 100% commitment towards whatever the task might be ahead of him ?– whether that be a 50-yard field goal or an important partner meeting.

According to Chandler, another key transferable skill is teamwork. Being able to function exceptionally well as a team or organization and aligning to a strong mission or purpose is what helps teams go from good to great.

Q: "Being an NFL Legend means you have a platform – is there anything you'd like to tell NFL Legends reading?"

“The same skills that got you to the NFL, take those and apply them to business,” says Chandler. “Use the same mentality that made you great and attack each opportunity as you would as if you were on a football field. That’s the mindset that helped me."

Next Steps for NFL Legends Reading

If you're an NFL Legend and are interested in joining Fanatics and 40+ other employers at the 6th Annual Super Bowl Career Fair on Friday, February 9th, 2024, in Las Vegas – please visit the NFL PCF Career Portal here or reach out to [email protected]

A Jersey Swap is a gesture of mutual respect between two or more parties. In this series, the term pays respect to both the importance of an NFL Legend’s football experience and his post-football career.