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Tyrel Kirkham of the Big 12 Conference: 'Sports Is the Only Place You Can High-Five a Stranger'
Bringing a poet's powerful words to life through a special shooting shirt
Tyrel is currently chief marketing officer at the Big 12 Conference. On Aug. 23, the College Football Classic between K-State and Iowa State will take place in Dublin, Ireland.
We spent two minutes with Tyrel to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.
Tyrel, tell us …
Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?
I grew up in Brentwood, Long Island, and have lived in Queens (while working for the Mets), Brooklyn (working for the Nets), L.A. (working for the Rams), Detroit (working for the Pistons) and now Dallas (working for the Big 12 Conference).
What is your earliest sports memory?
Watching Mets games with my grandfather. He loved Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden. Win or lose, he’d wave his cane at the TV in celebration or frustration.
Who are your favorite sports team(s)?
N.Y. Mets, Buffalo Bills, L.A, Rams, Detroit Pistons—and of course all of the Big 12 schools equally.
Favorite athlete(s).
David Wright and Cade Cunningham. Both are quietly confident leaders who lead by example while lifting their teammates up in the process.
What is your favorite sports movie and/or show?
Cool Runnings will forever be a classic.
What is your favorite sports podcast or news show?
SBJ Morning Buzzcast—essential for keeping up with the business of sports.
Your favorite sports video game, if you have one.
Mike Tyson’s Punch Out and Double Dribble. Both classics sparked my competitiveness at an early age.
What is a recent project you’re proud of?
The Dr. Maya Angelou shooting shirt campaign that we launched during Black History Month. We brought her powerful words to life—”If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.” What made it even more meaningful was how our institutions and student athletes embraced the challenge, not just to wear the message, but to live it.
Someone else’s work that you admired recently.
Nike’s “So Win.”
What sports can do that nothing else can.
High-five a stranger.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the sports space.
I’d own a trucking company and run a network of farm stands. Sounds random, but that’s the business my family was in when I was a kid. My hustle today is still fueled by the work I did at Jackson Produce.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
