 We had a three-part round table conversation That's some of the challenges you may be experiencing. You're no different than me. There's someone there that looks like me like representation matters Having come from a time where I was the only black person in the building till today where we've got diversity Unlike we've had in the past. It's exciting Thank you so much for being here for the black history month round table I would love for each one of you to take a moment to introduce yourselves. I'll start with you Gil Go back really chief marketing and strategy officer for the Titans. I just finished my four season Ray and Carthon general manager, and I'm starting my fourth week Welcome I'm a dull for birch. I am a chief external and legal fairs officer I've been with the Titans since July of 20 But was with the league office for 23 before that you're the senior veteran of the group So just talk a little bit Gil we'll start back with you about the journey to get to where you are today Sure For me, I started out after college working in health care Because I was told that was a good field to get into and it was except for the fact that I just wasn't interested in health care So exactly the field was good. Just wasn't for me. And so I'm like 25 26 I'm like, what do I what am I interested in what am I passionate about and you know as a 25-year-old young man? There wasn't a lot there, but sports really stood above the rest and now it's naive enough to figure Okay, if I just knock on enough doors, I can start a career in sports So I went back to the college. I graduated from UPenn and Philly And volunteered at the athletic department there for about a half a year and then something came open So I worked as director of basketball operations for the basketball team there for Three years. I went back and got my MBA in sports marketing and then from there I got jobs at the NFL League office Long stand at ESPN and then eventually here at the Titans Right, so I guess it goes back. I grew up in football my father played eight years coach for 19 Got my start collegiately at the University of Florida from there bounced around the league most notably with the Colts Got my start in the front office in 2008 with the Falcons. I worked there for four seasons Moved on to the Rams. I was there five seasons total five seasons total for in St. Louis one in LA from there spent six seasons with the 49ers and Just recently got hired here. Like I said in my fourth week and you know excited to really get started Well, my story is probably a little bit different as I backed into it Started out. I came back to law school. My singular focus was to be mayor of Nashville. That was my job And I at least my goal But at some point my dad sort of talked me into Really actually learning how to practice law at some point thought that might be good to know how to practice So I went to some firms in in Houston While I was there when the team decided there was no relocate to Nashville So I kind of raised my hand and said hey, I kind of know some people in Houston I know what's going on here. I know what's going on in Nashville. Could I kind of be on a transition team? And that went sort of nowhere But as a result I somehow got into a hat and I got a call about the job I ended up taking at the league office in New York So, you know, it wasn't by design But you know, it was it was great that it happened because it has been a journey and I know most of us here Love the sports industry love what it's about and love being a part of it And I haven't looked back since a sense of change It's really cool for me having been at the a part of the organization Organization for as long as I have to be sitting at the table with three black men in Leadership positions because for so long I was the only black person in the building And so it's really like almost emotional for me to sit at the table and and feel like I can have this level of Conversation I think in the past it was almost something that you just didn't talk about It was I was painfully aware of it every day But it wasn't a conversation that you could have specifically like within the walls of the building and so I guess you know when you think about your journey and some of the Adversity you may have encountered and and what you learned from it and how you grew from it I would love to hear some of some of that from you all as well One thing I think is there's a story I tend to tell people is that sports and in particular football is just different It's different than any other business different than any other industry And a lot of times, you know at my with the things I did at the league office They tended to be the ones where somebody would be reading about it the next day or you'd be hearing about it on the news or every person who is Is that a water cooler and thinks they understand what's going on is you know giving you their commentary on talk radio? and you know doing one particular issue we were dealing with it was just getting to me and And you know, I thought it was partly because I think there were some issues about who they thought was making the decision and some of the sort of aspersions that People were tending to put, you know, sort of my way particularly, but it was really part of a bigger Issue it's just a lot going on and I got that but at the time that I was sort of at my wits End and exasperated with the whole thing. I ended up. I got a call from my aunt. My aunt was at the time she's probably 75 and And She just immediately started launching into me about why the Texans were still running a 3-4 And she just didn't understand it She's big Texans fan and and she just didn't understand it and it was 45 minutes of that And so that to me helped just ground me in the whole reality that look Even when you think it doesn't matter to you it matters to everybody and so that Helped me just from a you know when things come up that are tough Things come up that you just see you wish you didn't have to deal with You just remember how much it matters to all the people around you who would give anything Yeah for the opportunity to be a part of whatever it is you're doing so yeah Oftentimes that get lost gets lost in the work you forget how valuable and important and and the representation like there's a million people that are looking at Even your worst and most adverse moments like wishing they were sitting in the same seat So you You're talking about challenges and adversity, you know that are unique to us as black men or Unique to me like I'm sitting down, but I'm six foot six right some a large black man So as a result like you know people's reactions to me run the gamut And I have to be prepared for all of it like there's some folks that I scare just from walking into a room There's some folks that like are fascinated and they want to be my homeboy when they meet me Because whatever you know and whatever that means to them and that can go a lot of ways And really anything in between and I think you know Understanding that you run into situations where you might be one of the few people that the person across the table from you Even knows who's a person of color or who's maybe not dealt with the person of color from a business standpoint as an equal as a colleague whatever and And you have to be ready for that and just understand that that person's Ability to relate to you might not be what you might want and it might not necessarily come from a negative place It's just they don't have that experience and more times than not that's what I run into It's just the lack of experience and sort of I don't mean this in a super negative way But an ignorance that it's ignorant because they just don't know versus like Over-hostility but you know having to bear responsibility for that interaction where you kind of feel like you have to teach this person Who you are and what you're about and how it's really you know We're still just doing business at the same and then the day just like you would do business with someone else You know there times when I think people can get fatigued with that But you know it's just something that you kind of have to learn to deal with you Do you want to you know stay true to yourself? Don't feel like you have to change for anybody But at the same time it's a dynamic that is different for me that it might be for you know someone else Yeah, and I want to come back to something you touched on those difficult conversations I would love to come back to that but first I want to give a chance for me It's you know for the sake we're in the locker room right now, right? So having been in a locker room I feel like the locker room in all sports is the safest and most Accepting group of any organization right you know and then if you think about our game It doesn't matter what your race is your social economic status for those four hours that you're cheering for your team That's all that matters is your like-mindedness of the team And so with that said it's the opposite end You know being you know the first black GM in franchise history and like I said in my Open and press conference. I wasn't aware because I wasn't searching to be the first black right I was just trying to earn this job and be the best and Something that my aunt you know she brought to my attention, but then it was sort of a full circle moment I remember back when I first got into scouting You know I've always been the type if I don't have the answer I'm gonna go find it And I remember just reading through all the GM's bios and the one that stood out to me the most was Jerry Reese's He was a GM of the Giants at the time and he has specifically in there a quote that it meant a lot to him to be a black GM Into do a good job and leave the door open, you know for the ones coming behind him and I just reached out to him Just based off of that quote that I saw and was able to sit down with him at an all-star game And pretty much shadow him even though I was with another club just shadow him and just talked to him about his thought Processes of being in that position and then now I find myself You know in that position looking to do the same, you know for the for the guys that are coming behind me So for me, it's kind of you know I've been on both sides of the coin right and then especially with all the initiatives that are being put in place You know the level the playing field to give, you know more men like myself opportunities for for these roles like even me being in this role having met Adolfo and Get not Gil Burke and you know miss Amy at the accelerator program, you know, like that's where I was first introduced to this organization Through a league initiative about giving us more opportunities to be in this role. So You know again, it's I think and I don't want to speak for Everybody here, but I think it was intentional, you know, it's it's a difference It's a different thing to show up and say hey, we took part of the accelerator program But I think the group from this organization was intentional about meeting with people and finding people and I think that is Evident if you look at the interview list of who they interviewed. I think it was intentional. That's awesome I think, you know, it's interesting because oftentimes like I'll go places and I'm sure you get the same thing and people will be so proud like when I go to Whether it be a TSU or HBC or I go speak to a group of people. They're always like so proud of Me or so excited to see me because representation matters so much and I'm always like I'm just Tina like You don't know me I'm just Tina but then I'll step away for a second and think man How amazing would it have been when I was those ages and someone like me came to inspire Me, you know how I feel it's just amazing to be able to be in a position and on a platform to be able to do Something that encourages someone else like so I've learned how to sit in this and be proud to be in The position that I can use this platform to give to someone else like When you think about like the young black men that are maybe listening to this What what inspirational word or advice would you provide them? I'll jump in because I was just thinking about what you just said how you're just Tina, right? Like that's all I've ever wanted to be is me. That's the one person I know how to be but I've always taken pride in just I don't have to be out front, right? I'm not looking forward. I'm just want to do my part in the overall, you know Scheme of everything we're doing and so being here in Nashville and going different places whether I'm looking for a place to live Or just going to Get something to eat, you know, just You know the the black community here has been so supportive, you know and just coming up and you know tap me on the shoulder Hey, congratulations. Welcome. We're happy for you, you know, and it's it's filling it and becomes a Sensor responsibility, but it becomes a motivator as well, right? Because like you said there now kids eyes are opening to the possibilities of right when you're you know Six seven eight years old all the way through high school all you know is what you see on the football field You see coaches you see players you don't know about a gill you don't know about a duffel You don't know about myself because those aren't you know those positions aren't represented, you know TV on Sundays and Saturdays And so, you know now hoping that These kids will see this and see us as inspirations They can see that you know not everybody's going to make it I mean though the numbers are what they are but there are other positions within organizations that you can be in thrive and still Live your dream of being an NFL I think you know I usually tell a story for folks who are looking to break in and I just kind of raise my hand and just say hey Who here has worked or works in fast food? And just see how many people raise their hands and how many y'all like it? You know and that answer is usually zero, right? But then my third question I'd ask is okay. What if I told you you could own the McDonald's in five years? Like do you think that you would pay more attention to how to make the fries or pay? You know, what do you think your attitude and that and and so to me? It's just a metaphor to talk about attitude and understanding, you know, Ram mentioned it earlier. It's constant effort to learn And so if you can approach those things, you know, whether it's your career or your personal life Whatever it is in a in a from a sense of wanting to learn and just figure it all out I think that's the single best thing you can do To help you kind of chart your path because you have to be prepared to do things that Don't seem like they're the you know, they're that fun It's not automatically the you know, you know You're not the first day at a job in the NFL. You're not walking out and on to the stage at Super Bowl You just have to you know, it's it's like understanding that bigger picture in that longer term Play and the and the other thing I do is I always talk about people being your Everyone is a leader to someone Everyone is an inspiration to someone and so don't you know look at yourself as Merely somebody who tries to get inspiration from others or tries to you know Tries to figure out what I can learn from this person try to figure out what you can teach to that one You know try to figure out what things you can do where you can go how you can go talk to your elementary school how you can do things that help you to develop that Skill set that will ultimately help you personally in your career. So To me that's you know, that's the if there's one sort of thing that just fits underneath all of it. It's that to me I'll go quick I mean for me I think you know I love ran story because what I was gonna say is have a vision for yourself and don't accept the limitations So her and it was like I'm trying to be one of these GM's and so I'm gonna learn about them I'm gonna find them I'm a follow them and I'm gonna figure out my way to get there and I think you know that's really a great example for all of us and You know for getting taking it back to the race factor We don't have as many, you know, we don't always have the prominent role models to model ourselves You know from so sometimes you have to write your own story But at the end of the day you can do it don't accept the limitations that you know real or perceived Now I'm one generation from the hood and one side two generations from you know the fields in Mississippi On the other side and so, you know, that's it for whatever I have now. It's a big leap from that You know, so like, you know, so it can be done and so especially these days So just don't accept the limitations have that vision and just be relentless at working towards it So I want to shift just a little bit like the conversation thus far has been about what we're saying to the black community how we're encouraging members of the black community, but we Because of where we are we have a responsibility To help others Understand and so if we if the goal whether it be within the Titans organization in our communities If the goal is to grow and to progress from where we are to where we would ultimately like to be those conversations Stations have to extend beyond just the black community each one of you are in positions of power and have opportunities to have conversations with individuals and so Like I would love to know your thoughts and when you're navigating those difficult Conversations not with members of the black community, but outside of that. What does that look like for you? Yeah, I think if you find yourself, you know, if I'm following your question in a situation where you have to maybe explain something that is You know racially charged or whatever the case may be Yeah, I think what I try to do is to start with creating a safe space So, you know, if it's you're responding to an incident in a meeting Maybe you wait until after the meeting you pull somebody aside and sort of say hey You know, I know what you were trying to do there, but you might look at it this way You know, like I have one person told me once before like, you know, the classic trope. Wow, you really speak well Yeah, exactly And there was It was said in a way like if you saw like a puppy ride a tricycle or something Whoa, that's crazy that that happened, right? You know, I mean and like it's like, well, you know, I know you were trying to Yeah, but that didn't come off great, you know, and it's and so it's really pulling the person aside understanding assuming innocence in the intent Most like I said, most of those types of errors are unforced and they come from a Place of ignorance rather than hate and you cannot and you typically can tell the difference And if that's the case then you try to respond to that with kindness and from an educational standpoint versus Aggression, you're gonna say something. Well, you know, and look at the articulate thing. It's funny because I remember my old Folks at the league office. We had a running sort of bet It was like every time you hear the word articulate Ask is it being said about a black person or a white person? And I would get a point for every time After a while it just gave up because at some point it was like a hundred and something to two You know, I was like so you but it it was useful even then like that in a way that's the same sort of thing It was showing through an extended, you know extended sort of play out The same point that you're not you're not understanding why you're saying that Let me show you the impact of what you're saying. Like why is that occurring to you? Why is it? Why is it you even thinking? to remark about How many times has been a grad school? How often is that and so, you know, so I think you do things like that, you know, you for me I One thing I do try to do is I try to just sort of say some stuff Occasionally because I feel like you can if you can just I'm almost like an icebreaker, right just to get it on the table because I think sometimes Everybody's kind of tip-toeing close to it But if somebody can just you know break glass then now You can have a conversation and everybody can say, okay, I get it, you know, I see what's going on here so to me those are the main two things and then I try to make sure you You get people out of their comfort zones Potentially even when you don't have to and I don't mean that in the bad way I just mean that as you know, we may have a talk let's say we're talking and we're talking about frats or something And there might be some people that aren't really familiar with the black return of the experience But that didn't mean I'm gonna stop talking. Yeah, I'm gonna still talk about it because after I finish Now you're gonna learn something, you know a little more than you knew, you know, and and so you can't be You have to get it out As the least to the start and maybe that you know generates a question and response Maybe that generates some wanting to learn some more and you know, maybe they go see my old step show tape Oh, you all need to see it At some point do you ever feel like you are tired of having to have that conversation? I there was an actor recently that came out and said he doesn't want to be recognized as a black actor He wants to be recognized as an actor like he doesn't he's like, you know You don't go to McDonald's and say the black manager You you go to McDonald's and ask for the manager and so oftentimes that feels like like a heavy lift At some point. Do you ever feel like you're the first black general manager? Do you want to be recognized as a general manager and Understanding that like how do you navigate like moving from being that label to just being Good you're here because you deserve to be here, you know or as you hear people say I have a seat at the table I deserve to be here. I mean going back to the original question and coming back to that one I've always been what Adolfo said is the person that you know, just breaks the ice with the Conversation particularly as a pertain to race I Don't want this to sound crazy, but I think one of the benefits of George Floyd's murder in the timing of it Forced us all to be more willing to have those uncomfortable conversations that for so many years We glided over right unless it came in your direct path You know, it was the pandemic We're all locked down. Everybody was forced to be in their homes and you couldn't leave your homes And we were all forced to watch that eight minutes and 46 seconds, right? And then what came after out of that, you know, all the different organizations I'm assuming had these these zooms and you know, you heard the I had no clue I didn't know and and you know, I understand that but because at those times it didn't affect your status quo But now that you're in your home with your children and it's all that's plastered on the TV It affected the status quo So it forced us all, you know to have those conversations and particularly with what I do, you know 70% of the product that we put out on the field is black And so we have to be willing to have these uncomfortable conversations in the in the draft room And you have to have a more of an understanding of the culture, right? Because there are some things culturally that you might not understand when we're reading through the character of these young men That may be a problem for you culturally, but coming from where we grew up you have a better understanding of it And it might not be a thing But to the second part of your question, you know again and I'll forever say it Like I never intended to be the first black right because you know in all honesty If you ask the question to a broad audience, who's the first white GM in Titans history? Couldn't tell you right because that person never set out to be the first white Right. So why should I set out to be the first black? I want to be the best I want to be the GM. That's a part of the group that brought the first Lombardi here you know when it's all said and done and I'm a hundred years old. I want my name out in the lobby, you know I don't want it to say first black with my name. I just want my name up there Hopefully with a Lombardi trophy or two, you know, I'm not gonna go LeBron or three or four or five But easy But you know, that's that's how I've always, you know approach everything Yeah, I think you know you asked are you get tired and you know, I think the honest answer for me is sometimes But you know that this is part of we all have our things that we have to deal with But you know to kind of piggyback on what Rand said at the end of the day, it's about like I know who I am I know what I'm trying to do. So like Yeah, there's this other piece that I have to deal with because I'm black or whatever And I don't shy away from it. I'm proud of who I am. I'm proud of where I came from but professionally I know who I am what I bring to the table and I'm focused on You know putting myself in the position to excel at my job and at my profession and my craft And if I do that then, you know, things tend to work out. I guess is how I look at I'll interject one more time just to thinking about it even more You know Mike Tomlin was the first black In Pittsburgh. Ozzie Newsom was the first black GM period in the league But both of those guys are winners And so you don't hear about nothing About their race now. All you hear is Tomlin's never had a losing season Ozzie drafted X amount of Hall of Famers two Super Bowls So I think when you're in this position when it's new You know, that's the that becomes the label But I think we're in total control of how that label can change and shift with our performance But but to that point though, I just heard this the other day somebody was mentioning Some of the coaching prospects and they're like, oh, everybody's looking for the next, you know Name name whoever you which tree you want to run down He's like, but why is no one ever saying I need to find the next Mike Tomlin You know got a record. It's stellar But, you know, they're not seeing it that way we're saying the next, you know, where's the next Ozzie, you know, like that's You you still have to be Sort of persistent in making sure people are You know comparing themselves properly or comparing, you know, among folks properly to give everybody that do that They really deserve because I mean Mike Tomlin as that example is just bar none But it just never gets quite mentioned in the same way How do you change that right like to that point like How do you do that? How do you convince people that We need to see him for all the successes he's had and he deserves to be mentioned in these circles How do you how do you start to convince people that that's the direction we need to go? Well, look, I think back to the main point, you know winning in in this business Yeah, the winning the winning speaks and so, you know, unfortunately If you're not You know, it's like you when you when you hit your highest high point You're in everybody's mouth. Yeah, but maybe when you're, you know, taking a band-aid crew and getting them to Respectability and you know showing performance and effort and all the things that a great coach does when you know The team might not be its best You don't get you just people aren't talking about it in that same way And I I think people need to talk about it in that way and and say understand what this means Understand what that means, you know, we have our examples here. We got we had, you know, that the the coaching performances Have been great and that's because Of the work and that's because of all the people involved and we have to talk about it like that But you just said something earlier though, I agree with everything you just said but like Mike Tomlin is a winner, right? Well, yeah, I agree with that. You know a big part of it is You know, where the leaders above Mike Tomlin and how are they what are they bringing to the table? And so the Rooney family, I don't know them, but they have a great reputation for being progressive and for You know running a meritocracy and you know, you know, Mike Tomlin that they took a chance on him when they hired a Right, you know, it's hard to remember that but he was kind of uh Underdog for that role and and they they hired him Um, you know, we've Amy Adams drunk. I mean she has the Leadership that allows for this table to exist, right? And so how do we fix it? It's putting more folks like ran in the positions that he's in Um and folks that have you know, if not, you know, literally representing, you know black folks Folks with open minds and people willing to you know again Like sport should be the ultimate meritocracy. You can either ball or you can't either win or you don't and so When you let the other things seep in that's when you have You know Less than stellar outcomes. And so you need to find we need more people in the places of power to have that mindset For me, it's always and I we talked about this in my interview is It wasn't necessarily about just getting a GM job, right? It was about getting the right one the right fit That will allow you to AB you And then support you right because there were other opportunities Um, and you know the folks at the uh 49ers were super supportive But I always let them know that hey, don't automatically assume that i'm taking every job interview that comes through, right? Having lived through my father being one of the original runy rule guys And lived through his stories of hearing, you know, the man you look up to say son, I have no chance at that job You know and hear that over and over and over And not understanding and then having that tough conversation, you know with him like You know dammit, you're gonna stop what you're doing and explain to me, you know Why that is and when he did I had a better understanding So I always took the approach of i'm not taking every interview It has to align with who I am what I believe because As much as you're interviewing me i'm interviewing you too Right and not every opportunity is going to be the same and you know, I had several interviews just throughout all the years and You could tell 30 minutes into it like yeah, this probably isn't gonna work You know And again, you know having those conversations with my family like hey I know we said we want to be at this role, but if they offer me the job, I'm not taking it You know because You know, I think mark mayhew may be the only black gem to get a second chance You know and the number of how many ever we've had And so it's gem as a whole, you know black or white you don't get a second chance usually And so it was always about you know, the right fit for me and having met with the group You know, I felt a instant connection when we had the interview to the point that Adolfo asked me. I don't know if you remember this The interview was over. It's like no. Hey, what'd you think? I was like that was easy And he was like wait wait hold on hold on And I was you know more so many not the interview in and of itself But it was a conversation, right? It was never Yes, they were doing their job and interviewing me and asking me these questions But I just felt like we were just free flowing in the conversation. It was Never I had to be here and you know nervous or anything Well, thank you guys so much. This is like very personal and meaningful to me I will like when my son was in middle school He I remember him coming home and I would hear his friends He and his friends would have a say and they would say we stacking up You know, I had no clue what it meant, but every time a new black kid came to their school They would say we stacking up. So At this table it feels good to say But thank you guys so much for your time