Photo by Molly O'Keeffe.
Jacques McClendon is an agent with WME Sports and represents coaches and executives across professional and collegiate football. He previously spent seven years as an NFL player, and was most recently the director of football affairs for the Los Angeles Rams. Before joining the panel for the Zócalo/Kinsey Collection event, “Can a Football Stadium Be a Black History Museum?,” he sat down in the green room at SoFi Stadium to talk Jackie Robinson, Dolly Parton, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
You’re from Cleveland, Tennessee. Where was your favorite place to go growing up?
I used to love going to the local high school football games.
How young did you start going?
Probably 6 or 7 years old.
What about it stood out to you?
Just saw people who were doing great things. Something to aspire to be.
You’ve said that the first thing you did after retiring from the NFL was read a lot of books. What was one book that made an impression on you at the time?
The Power of Who, Bob Beaudine. You gotta be able to capture your network, right? I think that a lot of people do great things, but you need help along the way. And so being able to capture relationships in a way that is authentic, organic, and can continue to grow can help you.
On success, you’ve said that it’s not finite: “You don’t just climb the mountain and you’re there.” How would you define success in your life today?
I think I’m still seeking that. I think, you’ve had some things that have worked well, but what you need is always evolving. And so it’s always like, what’s the next mountain? So right now, it’s in a brand-new vertical in a brand-new job and trying to figure out what success in that looks like. I think daily growing, learning. So just continuing to find a mountain to climb. And continuing to get it done.
Who’s a historical figure who’s made an outsized impact on you?
Jackie Robinson. As someone who had an opportunity to play professional sports, I think about the sacrifices he made early on to give us the platform to have these opportunities. He gave me the opportunity when my time came.
What is your favorite museum?
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. I’ve been a couple of times. They did a phenomenal job. I feel like it shows the African American experience in a very positive yet deep storytelling manner.
Is there one particular artifact or exhibit there that particularly stood out to you?
Probably the Emmett Till exhibit. That’s the one that cuts the most deep, because it’s just not that far removed. It was very powerful.
What is your favorite football stadium?
Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. There’s nothing like “Rocky Top.”
Speaking of “Rocky Top,” do you have a favorite version of the song?
Dolly Parton’s “Rocky Top.” That’s the best rendition. Without a doubt. She’s a national treasure, but we’re happy to call her a Tennessean.
You’ve seen football from so many different perspectives—what’s one thing that excites you about the sport moving forward?
Its economic impact and evolution, right? I think that it’s a unique sport that provides opportunity, not only for players, not only for coaches, owners, executives, but for communities themselves. So when you look at SoFi Stadium and what it means to Inglewood and the greater Southern California community. I think that these stadiums, these teams have deep economic impact that can go beyond the people on the field.