Kilat Fitzgerald / Winonan

NFL agent Eugene Lee visited Winona State University as part of the College of Business speaker series, connected to this year’s speaker theme, “Create Your More.” Lee is an Asian-American who is also president of MBK Sports, a company that manages and represents athletes. He offered a unique perspective on the world of professional football, all while giving advice on how to overcome large challenges.

Speaking to more than 500 students in a packed Science Laboratory Center (SLC), Lee engaged the crowd with a speech grounded in experience and guided by faith.

“Faith is the foundation of everything I’ve been blessed to accomplish. I urge you to find faith and God’s will for you in life,” Lee said.

A graduate from the University of Notre Dame, his company has represented over 40 NFL players in the past decade. While promoting his book, “My Brother’s Keeper: Above and Beyond the Dotted Line With the NFL’s Most Ethical Agent,” Lee tells what it takes to grow in the business.

“The NFL is a very unique dynamic,” Lee said, citing the constant risk of being replaced by someone who can do the job better and cheaper.

As if marketing an NFL player was not hard enough, it was not uncommon for Lee to see applicants interviewing for his job while he was doing it.

The constant pressure means keeping a clear head with eyes on the goal at hand. “There is an adversarial relationship between you and your client’s club,” Lee said.

His values of integrity based NFL representation were fully disclosed, and from there students learned what qualities truly matter in an intensely competitive sports and business industry. Lee also explained the importance of character when selecting who to work with, saying “It’s not a question of if adversity hits, but when.”

With that in mind, it became clear how important it was to have reliable people in your corner. It was here that the importance of forming lasting and productive bonds was made clear.

“Maintain relationships with your college friends,” Lee said. “Authentic relationships are where you give more than receive. When you look them in the eye and genuinely care.”

Dean of the College of Business, Hamad Akbar was one of the attendees.

“It was a superb presentation. The technical knowledge was in the details, and he also talked a lot about faith,” Akbar said. “He displayed those in full force in is presentation.”

Lee hit it home with his talk by motivating students to reach further than they thought was possible. Breaking through constraining categories is a necessity to achieving success.

“I’m not going to be defined by being Asian-American. I’m going to be defined by what I do,” Lee said. “The Warhol effect is to take the mundane and make it a masterpiece. Fear is the crippler of dreams, so face your fears head on.”

-By Kilat Fitzgerald