Dylan Jiles graduated with an MEd degree in Sport Management from the School of Kinesiology in the spring of 2021. Prior to arriving at the University of Minnesota, Jiles was a student athlete, who played football at both the University of South Dakota and Minnesota State University. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 2019 at Minnesota State, Jiles continued his education in Sport Management here at the U of M.
He noted how influential his course with Vicki Schull, PhD, was. “We were really able to break down gender inequalities in sport, how that affects athletes, and how it affects the rest of the world.”
Since graduating, Jiles’ has had plenty of changes in his life. To begin with, he made the decision to move away from Minnesota. “After graduating I contemplated moving back home to Chicago or relocating to somewhere that would give me a brand new experience. I chose Dallas, TX after spending some time there in the summer after graduation. I really fell in love with the constant growth of the city and surrounding areas, the diversity, the absence of snow and winter, of course, and the overall vibe of being a young professional in a new city. It’s a pretty popular area for professionals to relocate and start their new businesses/careers so it has been very fitting for me and I’m more than satisfied with the change of scenery.”
When featured in 2020, Jiles discussed his goal of becoming an NFL agent. That goal has now been realized. “I was finally able to pursue my dream of being a sports agent once I finished my masters, which was a requirement by the NFL Players Association. I took and passed the certification exam on my first try in August of 2021 to become an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor. It has been very challenging and competitive but I enjoy all the challenges that come with it. It kind of makes me feel like an athlete again. I also have a great team and mentors who have made the experience very valuable and I’ve been able to learn a lot from them and develop as a professional in the sports industry.”
Jiles acknowledges how his experiences in the School of Kinesiology have helped him to thrive as an NFL agent. “My time in the M.Ed Sport Management program was very beneficial to what I do as a sports agent. I’m able to reference back to things I learned in classes like Sport Law, Sport Finance/Marketing, and NCAA Compliance to excel in the role I have, managing the lives and careers of professional athletes.”
Along with being an NFL agent, a career in academic advising has also been a goal of Jiles. He highlighted this ambition in 2020. “During my undergraduate career I had access to a lot of resources and assistance because I was a student athlete. That experience really opened my eyes to how students who aren’t athletes are navigating their college experience. That’s the educational piece of my MEd; I’d like to pursue a career in academic advising. I want to help students achieve academic success.”
Two years later, Jiles has now achieved that goal. “I’ve been blessed to have the capacity to balance a career as a sports agent as well as an academic advisor. When I moved to Dallas I also accepted a job offer as an academic advisor at a college. It has been interesting to see the similarities in both roles and how my skills as an individual are interchangeable in working with college students and professional athletes.”
Now that Jiles has become an NFL agent and an academic advisor, he plans to focus on the next objective that he has set for himself. “A goal I’ve always had for myself is to be an entrepreneur. While I do enjoy working with students, I’ve always had the desire to create my own path and essentially work for myself or in collaboration with like-minded individuals. I plan to continue my career as a sports agent and have also been taking steps towards entrepreneurship.”
