Archer (far left) with fellow Career in Sports Forum attendees from the NE10 (PHOTO COURTESY Jerel Archer) |
Recent Stonehill football graduate among 200 student-athlete attendees, including five from the NE10
About the NCAA Career in Sports Forum
EASTON, Mass. (June 12, 2019) – Recent Stonehill College football graduate Jerel Archer was among 200 NCAA student-athletes that attended the NCAA's annual Career in Sports Forum, held at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 6-9.
Archer, a four-year defensive back for the Stonehill football program, was among five NE10 student-athletes at the forum this past weekend. The Career in Sports Forum is an annual educational forum hosted by the NCAA that brings together student-athletes following their junior or senior years to learn and explore potential careers in sports, with the primary focus on college athletics. This unique, four-day forum is designed to assist student-athletes in charting their career paths, as well as provide an opportunity to network and learn from current athletics professionals.
The cutting-edge topics covered by industry experts included: how personal values intersect with career opportunities, how behavioral styles impact individual effectiveness, the key professional and career development information to assist with transition from a student-athlete to a professional, and the role of the college coach or athletics administrator. Participants network with peers, as well as key decision-makers on the campus, conference and national level of college athletics.
Archer, who is the third Stonehill student-athlete to participate in the program, had the following reflections on his weekend at the Forum:
"Over this past weekend I was blessed to be nominated to attend the 2019 NCAA Career in Sports Forum located at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. During this amazing networking event, I was able to meet several student athletes, coaches, and administration members from all divisions from across the country. This conference was very engaging and has left a tremendous impact on me. During these four days, this conference gave every student-athlete the opportunity to expand their network, increase their business and sports acumen, and to build long-lasting friendships.
The panels during the conference attacked almost every aspect of intercollegiate athletics. As a member of this conference you really get to understand and realize your calling or your "fit" of where you see yourself having a career in the future. But, besides understanding the BIG picture of athletics, something I found very interesting during this conference were the other panels that weren't specifically all about athletics. The panels discussing: Mental Health, Personal and Professional Branding, Understanding Your "Why", and "Managing "What's Next" were all super beneficial for the student-athletes here.
From my experience, I would recommend this event/networking conference to any student-athlete that would like or have an aspiring dream to work at the collegiate level. Whether it is working in the athletic department, in coaching, or in sports administration in general, this event is an excellent way to kick off an athletic career. I want to say thank you to Cindy MacDonald, Kit Giffen, Coach Eli Gardner, Dean O'Keefe, and the NCAA for allowing me to attend this event. I've learned so much that I can apply to my career and general life. I am now definitely ready to attack by business/sports career in the near future."
Archer played 42 games over his Stonehill football career, with the business management major being named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation this spring. He has earned NE10 Academic Honor Roll status seven of eight semesters at the College and been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll three semesters. Archer totaled 106 tackles, including 74 solo, with 4.0 tackles for a loss of 37 yards, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He completed an internship in the Stonehill athletic department's compliance office during the spring.
With 21 intercollegiate sports, Stonehill boasts one of the top athletic and academic programs in the country. Stonehill has won the Northeast-10 Conference Presidents' Cup five times, all coming within the last 14 years. The Skyhawks have received the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement each of the first eight years of the program's existence of honoring institutions with an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90-percent or better. Stonehill has earned a 96% Academic Success Ranking (ASR) by the NCAA, which considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes, good for seventh among all NCAA Division II institutions, with eight Skyhawk teams receiving a perfect rating of 100%. In addition, the Skyhawks are ranked 11th in the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Power Rankings for Division II used to assess the academic and athletic standards of all NCAA and NAIA athletic programs.
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