Quick question: what's the worst thing that can happen in every DFO's life? Out of the million-plus headaches that could potentially pop up in every DFO's life, which one wakes him up in a cold sweat?
How about this one? You're flying for an away game, land at the airport and the busses aren't there. That was a situation then-Colorado operations assistant Jashon Sykes once had on his hands, and he improvised by having the pilot circle above the Buffs' destination city until the busses arrived.
A former Denver Bronco and Washington Redskin, Sykes originally planned to go into coaching when his NFL career ended, but instead opted for an opportunity to join the administrative staff at Colorado, his alma mater. Sykes dove head first into the operations side for football, rising to the DFO level with the Buffaloes in 2011-12 before moving to San Diego State in 2013.
“Every year I worked my way up to a better role with more responsibility,” Sykes said. “Probably by my third year in administration, I decided it was what I really wanted to do. I like to be depended on—I like to be in charge of something.”
Sykes is a member of the growing community of DFO professionals that have opted to make a career as a football operations director rather than foray into coaching.
The Daily Aztec profiled Sykes, and you should check it out.