Chalk Talk Episode #3: NFL Pros Dwayne Johnson, Jr. and Chris Streveler Just Spent Three Weeks Working at Zebra. Find Out Why (and What It Was Like).
Zebra works with the NFL in so many cool ways, and we spend a lot of time in stadiums and on fields – in players’ worlds. So, we’re always excited when we get to welcome NFL players into our world. For three weeks in March, two NFL pros came to work at Zebra, spending their days with different teams and learning about all the exciting things we’re doing with technology right now.
Quarterback Chris Streveler and safety Dwayne Johnson, Jr. did not know what they were getting themselves into. But they’re glad they were selected to be Zebra’s 2022 NFL externs, as you’ll hear in our latest episode of Chalk Talk. Will they follow in the steps of my co-host Hale Hentges, who joined Zebra full time after externing with us in 2021? Or do they have other plans for their lives (beyond football/when they retire)? Listen now to find out that along with why…
- Hale retired from the NFL right after his externship with Zebra (and why he chose to join Zebra Nation when he made the decision to reboot his career, even though he never thought he would work in tech).
- it’s important for NFL players to consider “what’s next” even if they have plans to stay in the league for decades.
- it’s okay if you don’t “pick a path and stick with it.”
- Chris’ experience as a quarterback made a technology externship so appealing (even though he knew nothing about tech when he applied for the program).
- Dwayne decided to extern at Zebra (after completing a NASA bootcamp, no less).
- Dwayne and Chris have big dreams about getting into real estate one day.
- Chris’s “grey cup/fur coat” moment in Canada went so viral.
- Dwayne is working hard to find his identity off the field.
- the “business of football” really is a numbers game.
- Hale tells all athletes to “invest in yourself.”
- athletes shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket
Chalk Talk Episode #3: A Sit Down with Zebra's Two NFL Externs
P.S. We also talk about the NFL players that we each looked up to over the years. (Some may surprise you, others definitely won’t.) And we offer our early predictions on which teams will make it to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. (Chris’ prediction that the Miami Dolphins will go all the way isn’t bias, despite what you may be thinking. Find out why we agree with him.)
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Missed the first few episodes? Catch up now:
- Chalk Talk Episode #2: Did You Know RFID Technology Was Used to Track Player Movements During 2022 NFL Combine Drills? Find Out What That Means for This Year’s Recruits (and Future Scouting Decisions).
- Chalk Talk Episode #1: Not Sure Who to Cheer for During Super Bowl LVI? These Next Gen Stats May Help with Your Decision.
- An Analysis of the Chalk Talk Commentators: What Do You Think? Were Adam Petrus and Hale Hentges Spot On with Their Super Bowl Predictions?
Adam Petrus
Adam Petrus is currently the Business Development and Sales Lead for Sports & Entertainment at Zebra Technologies where he is responsible for growing Zebra’s hardware and software solutions across the world of sports and the entertainment industry. Prior to joining the sales team Adam co-managed Zebra’s game day operation of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats program and served as the project lead for the NFL’s Equipment Tracking Program, Virtual Locker. Adam has more than 15 years of experience within the sports and technology industry and has been working with Next Gen Stats since 2015. Previously, he worked in the front office of an NFL Football Club, served within the United States Intelligence Community supporting special operations to include two and a half years in Iraq and was a licensed and certified sports agent. Adam holds a bachelor’s degree from Baldwin Wallace University out of Berea, Ohio and attended the International Institute for Management & Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland where he earned a certificate in Business Management and Leadership.
As an active member of the community, Adam serves on the Baldwin Wallace University Carmel-Boyer School of Business Advisory Council, served on the Board of the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary International Club and is a member of the Jacksonville JAXSports Council - a non-profit established to enhance and positively impact the quality of life and community pride, along with generating economic impact and growth through professional and amateur sports. An outdoor enthusiast, Adam enjoys running, paddle boarding, golfing and being an active parent alongside his wife Jenn to their daughters Olivia (7) & Peyton (5) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Gunner and Nash.
Fun Fact:
"My first job in the NFL was at age 16 when I was hired by the Cleveland Browns Groundcrew. This position then led to a promotion into the front office when I was in college and a full-time role upon graduation."
