What’s next for a football player after the NFL? If you’re Justin King, you enroll in the University of Miami’s Master of Education - Sport Administration program to take the next step in your athletic career.
“I was at a point when I was done in the NFL and I felt that I needed to continue to develop academically, and sharpen my tools to be able to get into athletic administration.”
King won accolades and attention playing for his high school football team in Pennsylvania, before signing with Penn State as one of the program’s most highly touted prospects. He was rated the top cornerback recruit in the country in 2004, and the top football recruit in the state of Pennsylvania.
King completed his B.A. in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management in 2007. Following his junior football season, King declared himself eligible for the 2008 NFL draft. He was picked in the fourth round of the draft, 101st overall, by the St. Louis Rams. Over the next 5+ years, King also played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. His NFL.com profile called him “as talented a raw athlete as they come.”
In 2017, King returned to Penn State to join the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff. As an assistant recruiting coordinator, King has a demanding job that sometimes has him working up to 80 hours a week. So he needed a master’s program that would fit into his schedule. Miami’s online MSED –Sport Administration fit the bill.
“In season it gets pretty difficult to balance school and my career. But all of the professors have been willing to work with my schedule and understanding that my work hours are not traditional.”
King also likes that the coursework is practical and applicable to his daily life.
“The courses I have taken were mirroring what I am doing at work. I am able to apply my own life experiences to supplement what I am learning in class and vice versa.” The interactive online classes—based on the same curriculum and taught by the same top professors who teach on campus—allow students to learn from each other’s experiences, says King.
“I would recommend the program because of the connections you build with other classmates. All my peers are very talented and bring different perspectives about the industry. You are able to build up a network that will help you in the future.”
Miami’s MSED –Sport Administration program is known for its excellent reputation and for fostering networking opportunities with industry leaders. King sees the program as adding some “extra tools to your toolset.”
As for the future, King says he would like to be a director of player personnel in a college football program or transition into the NFL. “I plan on staying in athletic administration.”
To find out more about the University of Miami’s graduate programs in Sport Administration, speak with an enrollment advisor at 800-411-2290, or visit the site for more information.
