A 2011 Knox College graduate who played football all four years for the Prairie Fire spent the summer working for a professional sports team in Ohio.
Lucas Motta, who earned his bachelor's degree in Integrated International Studies, is the marketing and corporate development intern for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Grinnell, Iowa native has spent a lot of time traveling this year. Motta visited Japan and China last spring to gain insight into international business and economic development. He shared his experiences of his trip to China by keeping a journal.
Motta, a four-year starter at defensive back and a co-captain for Knox on the gridiron last fall, is pursuing a career in sports marketing. During the baseball season he helped organize activities to bring more fans to Prairie Fire games at Blodgett Field.
Motta found out in early June he’d be going to Cincinnati to work for the Bengals and he's been busy from the start.
"My duties have included creating and starting up the first-ever Kids Club for the Bengals. I contacted and discussed possible (Kids Club) ideas with multiple teams from around the league, including the (Minnesota) Vikings and the (Indianapolis) Colts, and then mapped out a unique package that I thought would fit well for the Bengals," Motta said.
Motta expects the Kids Club will be up and running this month. He's also given tours of Paul Brown Stadium, held auditions for singing the National Anthem, assisted with a flag football tournament, and played a unique role in promoting the team.
"I filled in as the Bengals' mascot once when the main guy couldn't do it at a Father's Day event (in downtown Cincinnati)," Motta said. "I also played the mascot in a commercial to raise money to fight leukemia."
Motta said with the NFL lockout over, he expects to travel with the team to training camp and assist in all marketing and public events there.
"(The internship) has been an awesome experience and I'm learning a great deal. (The Bengals) are allowing me to sit in on meetings in all areas of sports marketing to help me get a greater aspect of what I want to do. Plus, all of the employees are unbelievably friendly," he said.
Motta is currently living with fellow 2011 Knox graduate John Fletcher, who played both baseball and football for the Prairie Fire. Fletcher is doing an internship with the strength and conditioning coach at Mount St. Joseph's, an NCAA Division III college in Cincinnati.
Motta believes he'll go to Chicago or St. Louis after his internship is over at the end of July. "I have only been talking to some teams in both areas, but we will see if they pan out," he said.
"The Midwest Conference is formed as an organization of colleges sharing a similar educational philosophy of inter-collegiate athletics. Conference members believe that intercollegiate athletics provide unique and valuable experiences in the total educational program. They contribute significantly to the development of the individual students and provide excellent opportunity for their growth, self-realization, and the fulfillment of personal potential." (Excerpt from MWC Constitution)