A Career at Mainland: How Playing Football Strengthened Tyree Thomas' Communication Skills

Tyree Thomas, Assistant Account Executive at Mainland, joined the company in August of 2019, following a journey into the marketing and public relations space that was somewhat unconventional. Thomas has been a lifelong athlete, first falling in love with baseball, and then eventually playing football and basketball at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana—one of the top high schools in the nation for basketball. In addition, Thomas spent time learning video editing skills, working on his school’s basketball, soccer and volleyball broadcasts for ESPN, and learning camera operations graphics, replay and audio. 

Thomas went on to play football at the collegiate level, a position in which he says he used his communications skills. “In a way, I recruited myself to play football,” said Thomas. “I was constantly searching for and reaching out to contacts at different colleges I was interested in. I called coaches and would send them my highlight tape. It’s actually pretty similar to what I do now at Mainland, reaching out to reporters and news outlets trying to secure leads and earned media for our clients.”

Thomas was recruited by and enrolled at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. While in undergrad, in addition to playing football at the collegiate level, Thomas studied general communications, but says he has taken “pretty much any class you can think of.” 

While in undergrad, football helped Thomas not only hone his skills on the field, but allowed him to develop a refined aptitude for teamwork, communication and receiving constructive criticism. “You have to be able to communicate really well in football,” said Thomas, “I was a linebacker, so it was essential for my position. If everyone knows their assignment and I’m relaying the plays well, it all goes hand-in-hand.”

So, how did Thomas go from playing football to working at Mainland? 

“I graduated in December of 2018 and I was going to do a graduate transfer to Ashland University in Ohio. I was going to be playing football while getting my Master’s in Corporate and Strategic Communications.” Everything changed when, two weeks before Thomas was set to leave for football training camp, he received a call from Mainland: He got the job. “It was one of the toughest decisions of my life, but I felt like this was too good of an opportunity for me to pass up,” Thomas continued. “I knew it was time to start my career.” He is still working towards his Master’s, but taking classes online while working full-time as an Assistant Account Executive at Mainland.

With Thomas’ experience on the field comes a strong sense of loyalty and teamwork, something that translates well to the business world. 

“In football, and in any team sport, when everyone contributes it leads to success for the whole team,” Thomas said. “It’s a lot like my team here at Mainland. We all work together to create the best possible outcomes for our clients.”

More than anything, Thomas feels that the real-world experience he is gaining at Mainland is invaluable. “In football, I always loved receiving constructive criticism,” said Thomas. “I feel the same way in the workplace. This is a huge learning opportunity for me and I know that when my colleagues offer me feedback, it’s because they want me to succeed. My dad would always tell me, ‘If a coach doesn’t yell at you, it’s because they don’t care.’”

While currently at the onset of his career, Thomas is optimistic and excited about his future at Mainland. 

“My goal is ultimately to work my way up in the company. I want to keep gaining experience and I’m in a great environment to do that,” said Thomas. “This is my first real job out of college and I’m really learning how to be a professional now in a completely different way than in my previous environment as a football player.”

Thomas grinned. “I just feel like Mainland is the exact right place for me to take that next step in my career.”