After graduation, senior Luke Yates is planning on working virtually for the company Pro Football Focus (PFF). Due to his deep passion for the sport, Yates knew that he wanted to go into a football related field right away.

PFF is a company that was founded by Cris Collinsworth, who is a sports broadcaster for several channels including NBC, the NFL Network and Showtime. They are partnered with all 32 NFL teams and is a company focused on sports analytics with very thorough analysis regarding all the plays during a game, whether it’s touchdowns, any flags/penalties, player statistics, etc. On their website, they have categories for fantasy, college, NFL, drafts and betting.

“I am very lucky to have very supportive and loving parents who understand why I chose to go down this path and are excited and happy that I have the opportunity to explore a career that I am very passionate about, even if it ends up not working out,” explains Yates regarding the support he has received along the way.

In a community where going to college is the norm, not following that path could be a tough decision. Yates, however, has had much support along the way regarding this choice. His parents are very open to his dream, and all of his friends are excited for him.

“My love for football came from so many different places, but by far the biggest person that made me want to do this sort of thing for a living was Brett Kollmann, who runs a show on YouTube called ‘The Film Room’,” said Yates.

Ever since he started watching different sports analysts such as Kollmann, Yates knew that this is exactly the kind of career he wanted to get into. He knew he specifically wanted to work for PFF after his cousin recommended it to him about a year ago, and after some major consideration regarding the topic, he decided that this is the job he wanted to go after. 

“Early on, I will be doing ‘box score’, which is basically a process of charting every play that happens during a game. So, that’s marking which players are on the field for the play, where the ball goes- left, right, or up the middle- and the result of the play,” says Yates in reference to what he will be doing for his future profession. 

Box score can help the employees at PFF track the plays that they are trying to view and helps the fans follow along with the game as well. He will be playing a crucial role in the company, making sure that the people watching and following along from home are updated live with statistics and results. 

“Part of life is eventually going and taking a big leap of faith to pursue something that truly makes you happy. My goal is to take the risk now while I’m younger so I have more time to figure it all out and to also gain experience that might be helpful for me later on in life,” notes Yates regarding second thoughts about his decision. 

With a great attitude going into this new stage of life, Yates is pursuing his dream early on in his life rather than later. Many students believe that they need to go to a college or university after high school, whether that’s due to peer pressure, social norms, or parental guidance.

Yates is someone who is open to trying new things and is willing to fail in order to achieve his dreams. He is someone who should be looked up to, as he is opposing societal expectations and is exploring this career because it is truly something that he loves doing. Hopefully, other students can follow in his footsteps and pursue their dreams, even if it means not going to college immediately after high school.