Behind the curtain with Carolina Panthers stats guy Will Bryan

Q&A with Carolina Panthers staff member Will Bryan – Part 3

DC: What advice would you offer for those wanting to pursue a similar career?

WB: Starting in college, get as much experience as you can in as many facets of sports as you can. Maybe you realize you enjoy photography or videography or writing, or maybe event management and facility operation is something you like more. Or corporate sponsorships or working with groups in the community.

There are so many different ways to “work in sports” and finding out what you like and what you don’t like is valuable. I’d also recommend seeking out people as mentors and leaders. The goal of a network and connection shouldn’t just be to get a job but to learn about the industry and understand what organizations value.

Ultimately, sports professionals want to hire folks with skillsets that can get the job done, whether that’s writing, negotiating, or managing teams. Those things can be more important than just being a passionate fan.

DC: What is your most memorable experience working for the Carolina Panthers and why?

WB: I’ve told this story on the podcast a few times around Draft season, but in 2017, I ended up on a special assignment at Christian McCaffrey’s house.

I was just a few weeks into the job, and they sent all of the main video and photo folks to the draft in Philadelphia, but McCaffrey was watching from home. Since he was an option, they sent me to Colorado to capture content in case we drafted him. When we were on the clock and picking him, I got the go-ahead to run to the door, but no one was answering. So the general manager had to tell him on the phone to go open his door, and I was waiting there with a Panthers hat for him. It was quite a first month on the job.

DC: Lastly, let’s talk about bucket list items. Is there one (or maybe 2-3) game/event/tournament that you would love to attend as a fan?

WB: I think the College World Series would be a lot of fun, especially as a fan of a Cinderella team. College baseball is such a tense and exciting sport and to be out there for two weeks would be incredible. I think the Champions League Final somewhere in Europe would be great too. I’d need to work my way up with some Premier League matches first, but obviously, the stakes and passion of a Champions final are unrivaled in sports.

Everyone at Cat Crave would like to thank Will Bryan for taking some time to chat and give fans a glimpse of what goes on behind the curtain of their favorite team.