They won’t be on the playing field when Super Bowl LVI kicks off this Sunday in Los Angeles, but a special cohort of Dartmouth alumni will certainly have some skin in the Big Game.
For Elizabeth Blackburn ’15, director of strategy and engagement for the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s a family affair. Her grandfather, Michael Brown ’57, TU’58 P’86 GP’15, is team owner. Her mother, Katherine Blackburn ’86, is executive vice president (and the first woman to serve on the NFL’s competition committee).
Paul Brown, Elizabeth’s great grandfather, was the team’s cofounder and first coach—and the eponym for Paul Brown Stadium, home to the Bengals. Most recently, her sister Caroline joined the team as senior manager of digital strategy.
Elizabeth Blackburn cites a Dartmouth class in design thinking as an important influence in her approach to fan outreach. “It taught me the importance of designing for your customer—a life lesson I continue to carry with me.”
In the Los Angeles Rams’ clubhouse is Kevin Demoff '99 TU'06, a former sports editor for The Dartmouth and now in his thirteenth year as chief operating officer of the Rams organization.
Tony Pastoors ’10, vice president of football and business administration, manages the Ram’s contract negotiations, salary caps, and collective bargaining agreement compliance. At Dartmouth, under Head Coach Buddy Teevens ’79, Pastoors was a Big Green football three-time letter winner.
Jon Marc Carrier ’17, a Dartmouth football time-two letter winner who helped the Big Green to an Ivy League title in 2015, manages player affairs for the Rams.
The Rams’ vice president of strategy and ticketing, Dan August ’07, manages ticketing planning, analytics, and delivering a great gameday experience for season ticket holders. Dan’s wife, Joanna Hunter ’06, is senior director of corporate communications for the team.
Dartmouth’s legacy of behind-the-scenes NFL management runs deep, as noted in Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. Scratch any team colors in this league, and you’re likely to find a bit of Dartmouth green in there, too.