Next Play Podcast Episode 2 | Tom McMillen: Director of Lead 1, ex-NBA player, and former U.S. Congressman

I’m really excited about our guest today, Tom McMillen. Tom’s resume is amazing—University of Maryland basketball alum, Hall of Famer, Rhodes Scholar, U.S. Olympian, he played in the NBA, had a successful career as a U.S. congressman, accomplished entrepreneur—but now runs the Lead 1 Association for College Athletics. We cover a number of topics all around the student-athlete experience.

There’s no one more qualified than Tom McMillen to talk about the student-athlete journey—and we do just that. We cover the landscape of college athletics all the way into specific examples of the student-athlete experience, their opportunities, and even some of the challenges many young people face today. It’s a great discussion and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let’s jump in.

What’s covered:

[04:00] What is Lead 1?
[07:10] Lead 1’s mission
[09:50] How did Tom’s experience as a student-athlete prepare him for his current role?
[11:00] The work Lead 1 does and the challenges they face
[14:15] How Tom’s work in congress is now helping Lead 1
[17:00] Value of the Student-Athlete experience and the scholarship a student-athlete receives
[21:50] Tom’s memories with former student-athletes in congress
[23:40] The current state of the student-athlete experience
[26:00] How to improve the student-athlete experience
[30:51] Successfully making the transition from college athletics