Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Jennifer Rojas, Los Angeles Chargers
Position: VP of Marketing Communications & Alumni Affairs
This is your 25th NFL season with the Chargers, but let's go back to the beginning. How did you get your start in a career in football?
I studied international business at San Diego State University to eventually become a lawyer. When I graduated, I decided to take a year off, and before making that commitment of going to law school, I wanted to see if there was anything else I really had a passion for. A good friend of mine suggested public relations because I like talking to people and am outgoing. I ended up getting a job at a small boutique PR firm, where I learned the X's and O's of public relations. It was very grassroots in terms of PR, and it was in the biotech field. It was a great experience, and I realized I loved the creativity of PR and brainstorming with others. I felt like I wanted to pursue that career path, but I didn't realize it was something I could do in sports. My friend told me there was an internship at the Chargers, so I applied. In the actual interview, I found out it was for a full-time job -- not an internship. I actually think that helped me, because I wasn't as nervous as I might have been knowing it was for a full-time role. I got the position as a PR assistant in June 2001.
And how has your role expanded over the years?
It's leaps and bounds different now than when I started. I was very green in the PR field, and I felt like I had bit off a little more than I could chew. At the time, the Chargers' PR department was in charge of doing a lot of different things. We organized the media events -- set up speakers and did the messaging -- but we also had to film and write for the website. It was a lot that year, because I hadn't really learned those things as an international business major. I loved the challenge, though. I wanted to become really great in that role and become someone people could rely on and thought of as a great writer. That's how it started. As I moved up the ladder, I kept getting more on my plate and new challenges. There's so much variety, so I never got comfortable.
So what does your current role entail?
I oversee a team whose focus is promoting team initiatives in the community, lifestyle and corporate space. We cultivate that through our influencer program, which began in 2017 when we moved to Los Angeles. I remember googling what an influencer was, but it's all about how can we expand and promote our brand to new audiences. We have Charger fans. We have sports fans. So our team meets on a regular basis to look at other areas, such as beauty, fashion, culinary or business. We work with influencers to reach a group of people our brand might never touch, and being in Los Angeles is amazing, as well, because there is so much opportunity with entertainment. For example, our fullback, Scott Matlock, did a fun promo spot with actress Kathy Bates for the CBS show Matlock last year. We're always looking for those opportunities. We have so many personalities on our team, and we want to help our players build their brands as well, because that in turn helps our brand.
I also oversee all media operations and community and corporate communications. We have a team that handles those last two areas, making sure our community and partnerships are being promoted in the right light.
Separately, we have our alumni program. Our department's responsibility is to communicate with our former players. We want to make sure they are privy to all the benefits the NFL has to offer and be a resource for them, as well as honor them. They are the foundation of the team. We have a legends weekend. This year was special for us, having Antonio Gates enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. My team worked on getting our organization ready for the Hall of Fame Game and his enshrinement. Then, our media operations also had the Brazil game in São Paulo.
How long did you and your team prepare for that Brazil game?
Luckily, it's a team of us from different departments who work together, because we all have a role in that game. First, we do a lot of meetings and planning with the league to get as much information about different needs and asks that people will have at the game. From that point, we did an advanced trip to São Paulo in May. We wanted to have a fan event there with some of our former players, so we visited some locations and worked with different groups in Brazil. It ended up being a huge success, with hundreds of people at our fan event and some content creation. And, of course, the game went smoothly.
NFL fans love their legends. Do you have a memory you'd like to share from this year's Hall of Fame festivities?
I feel very fortunate to have been with the Chargers for such a long time. I started with the team the same year it drafted LaDainian Tomlinson. I also remember when Gates began his career as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Seeing them at the start of their careers and to be part of both their Hall of Fame inductions was so special to me. You know they are amazing players during their careers and that you're winning games partly because of their talent, but you don't really see it in the moment. It's after their careers are over when you can really say I'm glad I was there for it and a small part of it.
Having been in this organization for 25 seasons, why do you think you've had success?
Being persistent in a sense of always wanting to challenge myself. If a new challenge came to me, I always want to take the bull by the horns and do the best I can and be the best at it. I wanted people to come to me for something because I was an expert in that space. I have institutional knowledge, being here so long, so that has also helped me have more of a voice at the table. You can have a seat at the table, but you also need to use your voice at the table, too. I have the experience and knowledge that gives me that voice.
That's a great way to look at it. And what would you say you've learned about yourself?
That I'm not afraid of a challenge -- instead, challenges motivate me more. I have competition in me. That's surprised me. When I was younger and in college, I was always someone who was quieter and had self-doubt. Now I tend to be more confident.
What would you say is the most challenging part of your role?
Because our group is involved in many areas, what keeps me up at night is making sure nothing fell through the cracks. There are a lot of things going on. It's also making sure everything gets the right amount of attention, because you want your work to be a reflection of you in a positive way. We're juggling a lot and want to make sure the end result is satisfactory.
Since you got your start in the NFL, how have you seen the industry change for women?
There were very few women in PR departments across the league, maybe five total, and I leaned on them all the time. They helped me along in those early years. There wasn't a lot of access for women working in the PR field, but we still had to complete our tasks. That has obviously changed, and there are so many women in PR departments now. We have three, including myself, with the Chargers. It took time to break that glass ceiling, but we've definitely smashed it.
How do you feel about how far women have come in the league? I mean, you are in a VP position for an NFL organization. Could you picture yourself in that role when you started?
I love it and I'm proud I was part of that growth. I know I felt like I had to work harder to give myself more opportunity in those early days to make sure there wasn't a reason for someone to say I couldn't do the job. We were resourceful, and I pride myself on building good relationships with players and coaches. I'm very proud to see where the league is now.
Now let's switch to mentorship. Do you have mentors, and what advice have you received from them?
I have been very fortunate. I have had so many mentors in my life and at different periods in my life. The female reps in the other PR departments helped me so much, and I leaned on them to get around challenges. It was them who persuaded me to keep at it, and I think that's what spurred that confidence in me. My current and past supervisors, I've learned from all of them. My peers around the league. We constantly lean on each other and have such a great community. And, of course, my team. I learn from all of them, too. They keep me up to date and challenge me, and I feel so fortunate to lean on and learn from them.
I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about my family. I grew up loving sports, and some of my fondest memories as a kid centered around them. I have a big Colombian family, many of whom are in the business world, and they taught me so much about being a manager and leader. I pride myself on that now, continuing to grow as a leader, because you're never going to be perfect in that aspect.
And lastly, what are you most proud of?
There are a couple of things. The growth for women within the industry, for one, and being part of that. I hope I'm still a positive influence to younger PR reps and a resource for them. And second, the influencer marketing program I started from scratch. We built it from nothing, and I feel like our program is one of the best in the league in that space.
