University of Tennessee Athletics
Six Tennessee Student-Athletes Take Part In Virtual SEC Career Tour
December 03, 2020 | Baseball, Football, General, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, Women's Golf
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Six Tennessee student-athletes took part in the fifth annual Southeastern Conference Career Tour, which included participation by 67 student-athletes from all 14 SEC universities. The event was conducted in a virtual format and wrapped up Thursday afternoon.
The goal of the career tour is to provide exposure for SEC student-athletes who are seeking career opportunities in various fields. The program allows student-athletes to connect with human resource recruiters and submit resumes for entry-level jobs, internships and gain valuable knowledge of professional branding.
Tennessee was represented by Hannah Jefcoat (women's track & field), Parker Kaye (men's swimming & diving), Cheyenne Labruzza (football), Solon Page III (football), Evan Russell (baseball) and Mariah Smith (women's golf).
"An amazing experience," Page said. "The SEC Career Tour essentially gave me a cheat sheet on what many companies look for in new and potential employees. Many athletes think that since our lives have been so wrapped up in sports, that we have no experience and are under-qualified. But today proved the contrary. We are more than qualified. College athletics has given athletes all the tools we need to be successful in the real world. We just have to apply them beyond the field or court. It was helpful to hear that."
The group met virtually with executives at several corporations in the Atlanta area including Cox Communications, The Atlanta Hawks and Chick-fil-A. Growing Leaders served as the SEC Career Tour host.
"Major kudos to the SEC for creating a unique experience that gives the student-athletes the opportunity to hear from multiple employers and engage in professional development sessions," Tennessee coordinator for student-athlete development Erin Holland said. "From the SEC Alumni panel to the virtual tour of the Chick-fil-A corporate office, the Career Tour has been very interactive for all."
The 67 student-athletes began the three-day program with a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Tuesday. The group also learned from former SEC Career Tour participants about their preparation, unique experiences and how they leveraged relationships to obtain employment. On Wednesday, the group met with Randy Hain of Serviam Partners. He discussed ways to build effective business relationships and how to improve the quality and quantity of business relationships through authenticity, curiosity and other proven best practices.
On the final day of the Career Tour, Kevin DeShazo of Fieldhouse Media led a discussion on leveraging personal brand and social media to land a job and become more attractive to organizations. The group also heard a presentation from Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders, Inc.
The goal of the career tour is to provide exposure for SEC student-athletes who are seeking career opportunities in various fields. The program allows student-athletes to connect with human resource recruiters and submit resumes for entry-level jobs, internships and gain valuable knowledge of professional branding.
Tennessee was represented by Hannah Jefcoat (women's track & field), Parker Kaye (men's swimming & diving), Cheyenne Labruzza (football), Solon Page III (football), Evan Russell (baseball) and Mariah Smith (women's golf).
"An amazing experience," Page said. "The SEC Career Tour essentially gave me a cheat sheet on what many companies look for in new and potential employees. Many athletes think that since our lives have been so wrapped up in sports, that we have no experience and are under-qualified. But today proved the contrary. We are more than qualified. College athletics has given athletes all the tools we need to be successful in the real world. We just have to apply them beyond the field or court. It was helpful to hear that."
The group met virtually with executives at several corporations in the Atlanta area including Cox Communications, The Atlanta Hawks and Chick-fil-A. Growing Leaders served as the SEC Career Tour host.
"Major kudos to the SEC for creating a unique experience that gives the student-athletes the opportunity to hear from multiple employers and engage in professional development sessions," Tennessee coordinator for student-athlete development Erin Holland said. "From the SEC Alumni panel to the virtual tour of the Chick-fil-A corporate office, the Career Tour has been very interactive for all."
The 67 student-athletes began the three-day program with a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Tuesday. The group also learned from former SEC Career Tour participants about their preparation, unique experiences and how they leveraged relationships to obtain employment. On Wednesday, the group met with Randy Hain of Serviam Partners. He discussed ways to build effective business relationships and how to improve the quality and quantity of business relationships through authenticity, curiosity and other proven best practices.
On the final day of the Career Tour, Kevin DeShazo of Fieldhouse Media led a discussion on leveraging personal brand and social media to land a job and become more attractive to organizations. The group also heard a presentation from Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders, Inc.
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Breast/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OF
/ Baseball
/ Women's Golf
The Mike Keith Show (Jan. 22, 2026)
Thursday, January 22
Big Orange Rewind | January 18, 2026
Sunday, January 18
The Mike Keith Show (Jan. 15, 2026)
Thursday, January 15
The Mike Keith Show (Jan. 8, 2026)
Thursday, January 08
