Adrian McBride Vice President, Player Recruitment, Executive Director, Midwest Sports Transition Programs

Can a pro sports background as a player give you a competitive edge in the business world or another industry or career outside of sports? Adrian McBride, Vice President of Recruitment and Staffing for Sports Professionals, Inc., New Albany, Ohio, would answer, “Absolutely, you can count on it!”.

Adrian would know, he played professionally in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 and with the Cleveland Browns in 1986. He also spent a season with the St. Louis Stallions in 1988 with the AFL. Prior to his three years in professional football, Adrian earned four Varsity Football letters from (1981–1985) for the University of Tennessee and the University of Missouri.

After pursuing his dream of playing professional football, Adrian transitioned off the playing field to apply his winning attitude in the business world. In time, he found he had a skill for identifying and recruiting business talent. He put that gift to work in the competitive manufacturing industry. Adrian spent over fifteen years serving as a Senior Recruiter in various staffing & placement roles, placing thousands of candidates.

During his tenure in staffing and recruitment, Adrian noticed that many former players were having the problem of making the transition from being a marquix college or professional athlete to the fulltime work life and off the field careers, of most everyday people.

After researching and studying the issue, Adrian realized the fact that most athletes spend their time and energy preparing for the next practice, the next game, and the next level. But, very few prepare for what lies ahead of them after their sports career ends, which is an inevitable reality for every athlete. He made it his new goal to help athletes make the transition from the world of sports to the world of business.

Adrian joined Sports Professionals, Inc. in 2003 to apply his new passion by providing career consulting & transition services to former collegiate & professional athletes. As the Vice President of Recruitment and Staffing, Adrian offers player consulting, recruitment, placement and other player transition services to players and a select list of corporate and sports team clients.

In addition to his work with Sports Professionals, Inc., Adrian also serves as a Youth Football representative for Riddell Sports in the St. Louis area. A position where he tripled the customer base and sales within his territory in less than a year.

In a recent business interview, Adrian noted, ”Finding interesting and challenging work for athletes who spent over 10-15 years focusing on athletics can be frustrating and overwhelming. It takes time, skill, resourcefulness, and a knowledgeable coach to make the transition – my experience shows that a professional consultant can be the answer.” “At SPI, we pride ourselves in helping players find a passion for something that makes them tick off the playing field, and getting employed quickly in that field of interest.”

Adrian has one son, Daniel, and resides in Columbia, Missouri.

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