BCSC Person to Watch - Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson is the Assistant Athletics Director for Football Communications & Branding at the University of North Carolina. Wilson’s journey includes stops at NC State, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and UCF, before landing back in his home state at UNC.

1. What made you want to have a career in athletic communications? 

Since my childhood, I’ve always known the random stats or facts about different sports teams and players that none of my friends knew or even cared about. When I discovered the athletics communications field in college, I immediately fell in love with it. It was the perfect way to be around sports and tell the stories of our amazing student-athletes. It’s also really cool to get paid to know our student-athletes really well!

2. What's one skill every communicator should develop? 

Flexibility. There are so many things that can and will go wrong in our business, so having the flexibility to adjust and continue performing at a high level is critical. Whether it’s adjusting to new bosses, new coworkers or new surroundings, we’re constantly making adjustments and need to have the flexibility to do so.

3. What’s one quote you’ve been told or have read that has helped your career? 

One of my favorite quotes is “To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required." This quote always helps to reset my thought process whenever things may not be going perfectly or when things seem to be difficult. Understanding that I’ve been an incredible opportunity and with that comes great responsibility helps me refocus.

4. What’s your favorite sporting event you’ve ever attended?

I’m a big baseball fan and the magic of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, never disappoints. I’ve been three times and somehow it gets better every time.

5. On a lighter note, what’s one fun fact that people would be surprised to learn about you? 

I once had the opportunity to record a radio commercial for Chick-fil-A! Crazy story, I tweeted about how much I liked their sausage, egg and cheese biscuit, they sent me a direct message asking if I had any interest in recording a commercial about it. I thought it was a scam at first, but I responded and a few weeks later, I went to a recording studio and recorded a commercial for Chick-fil-A.