The Good Stuff

This is a mediawise site, with focus on print and electronic sports journalism, and so being critical is too often a big part of our mission. But every once in a while we like to focus on the strictly positive. This time out, we celebrate a personal story that helps to remind us of the good things—about family, people and sports.

Sports Media America is proud to announce that Leo Joseph Brady, youngest of my three children, is now a college graduate. Leo’s commencement was last week on Mother’s Day at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he spent the past four years majoring in communications and public relations, and where he played four years as a tight end on the Division III school’s football team, also serving as a co-captain. There’s been a good bit of wear and tear on Leo’s knees, including ACL surgery when he was in high school, but football is a passion that would not be denied, and he proved to be a reliable receiver with some big-play capabilities and also a staunch blocker for the DuHawks’ running game.

Leo‘s an amazing person. Besides completing college in four years, and taking on loans to do so, he has consistently worked various jobs to help support himself. In the summer of 2005, he pursued and attained an internship in south Florida with the Miami Dolphins, where he gained valuable work experience as well as insight into the everyday operations of a pro football team.

Now the hard part begins: parlaying his education and love of sports into a paying gig. Loras College is also the alma mater of ace network sports announcer Greg Gumbel, and Leo hopes to at least get somewhere near that kind of professional involvement, either in electronic or print media, media relations or front office work at the college or pro level. He has a particular interest in scouting young football talent.

Leo’s an engaging guy, he knows his gridiron stuff (and other sports too), and he’ll be great no matter where he goes or what he does. This is a special SMA shout-out to an incredible young man.