Two Students Score Ravens Internships
SALISBURY, MD---Ever dream of working for an NFL team? That wish came true for two Salisbury University students who earned summer internships with the Baltimore Ravens football team. SU graduate student Whitney Adams worked as a marketing assistant, while senior Frederick Purnell was an athletic training assistant.
“It was very stressful at times, but exciting,” Adams said about her internship, which was offered to only ten out of 300 students from across the nation.
“The most rewarding part was being able to work with certified athletic trainers at the professional level and getting the opportunity to travel to New England and work a pre-season NFL game,” Purnell said.
A 23-year-old native of Charles County, MD, Adams earned her B.A. in communications with a minor in marketing management from SU in 2007 and is currently a graduate assistant for the SU Foundation, Inc. Dennis Mannion, the Ravens former vice president of operations and business ventures and a former SU Foundation board member, suggested she pursue the internship, which involved working 12-15 hour days at the Ravens’ training camp in Westminster, MD.
Purnell, 22, of Princess Anne, MD, is majoring in athletic training at SU. He spent his internship working 13-hour days at the training camp, along with four other students from different colleges.
Adams helped with marketing functions and setting up the Fan Area, which consisted of numerous tents for various programs. Around lunch she and other interns broke everything down and set it back up in time for the afternoon practice. She also assisted with information booths, the Rookie kids club, the Purple: Just for Women ladies club and the Gatorade Zone, an interactive course.
“It was an experience of a lifetime, and one that I hope will help me pursue my dreams of working in the NFL when I graduate,” said Adams, who also learned about teamwork and the workings of an NFL team.
Purnell assisted the Ravens’ athletic training staff with providing medical coverage for games and practices and other treatments for players.
“NFL players are not as arrogant as most people think,” he said. “They were very easy to work with and during training camp I met some of the nicest people I know.”
Adams still assists with the Ravens’ special events and home games by helping set up Ravens Walk and run halftime shows. She is considering a year-long internship but is concentrating on earning her M.B.A. in May 2009.
Purnell plans to apply for a second position with the Ravens, along with several other NFL teams.