NJCU Athletics | September 06, 2017

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |Educator, author and filmmaker Dr. Marc Williams, a nationally-respected sports marketing pioneer, pop culture expert and Northern New Jersey native has partnered with the New Jersey City University athletics department and Division of Student Affairs to create a Division III Leadership Program that will launch on Tuesday, September 19 during a special speaker series on campus.
 
Dr. Williams, a native of Florham Park, N.J., will launch the '#GothicFamily Striving for Excellence' leadership series to help Division III student-athletes overcome obstacles, while focusing on academics, service and career development based on his well-respected dissertation "A Descriptive Study of NCAA Life Skills Programs in the Big Ten Conference" when he presents to Gothic Knight student-athletes on Tuesday, September 19 at 5 p.m. at NJCU's John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (110 Culver Avenue, Jersey City). It will be the first in a three-part series during the 2017-18 academic year.
 
The focus of Dr. Williams' approach will be to acknowledge and empower NJCU's student-athletes, reaffirm the importance and appreciation of their commitment to being a student and an athlete, share experiences and lessons to gain a greater understanding of their role as a student-athlete, spotlight the trials and tribulations that are unique to Division III athletes and why it makes NJCU athletes specifically great, and to inform and enlighten the campus community on why athletics is special on a college campus and what it really means to be a student-athlete at NJCU.
 
At the September event, he will be joined by DJ Wiz, the DJ/Producer of legendary hip hop group Kid 'n Play. New Jersey high school track & field legend and 3-time Olympian Hazel Clark, Lenny Green, the host of the "The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green" on WBLS radio, Nevin Caple, one of the most foremost authorities on LGBTQ and diversity in the world will also partner with Dr. Williams as special guests during his three part-sport series during the 2017-2018 academic year.  
 

Through his partnership with NJCU Athletics, the Gothic Knights will introduce the Dr. Marc Williams Striving for Excellence Leadership Award. The award will be presented to individuals who reflect his life-long mission to overcome obstacles, challenge the status quo and encourage others to have a strong commitment to academic excellence, personal development, career development and becoming community leaders while seeking the highest standard of excellence.

"This collaboration will greatly benefit NJCU student-athletes, and enlighten their perspective tremendously," said Alice De Fazio, Director of Athletics. "Dr. Williams and his team bring a wealth of expertise and commitment, and I anticipate a thought-provoking and successful event."
 
Before becoming a national speaker, Dr. Williams had a stellar career in Sports Marketing, working for three of the largest sports brands in the world: Reebok, Athletic Retailers Footaction and Champs Sports. He was the Global Brand Director for Champs Sports and helped the company become a one billion dollar brand while being the co-creator of the Champs Sports Bowl. He was instrumental in negotiating the first sports retail industry global campaign for the hip hop industry with Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Grammy-winning artist Eve.
 
Working with Michael Jordan, Beyoncé, Allen Iverson, Chris Rock, Shakira, Will Ferrell and others, he helped to negotiate the monumental Reebok shoe deal with Jay Z and 50 Cent. Dr. Williams is the co-creator of the And 1 Mix tape tour—considered the most successful grassroots basketball tour of all time.   

Dr. Williams is the principal for award-winning brand management consulting firm, Williams Communications, LLC that he founded in 2006. CNN has regarded Dr. Williams as one of the top 20 inspirational speakers in the world and recently spoke with the University of Oregon football team, HBCU's Bethune Cookman University and Elizabeth City University student athletes, and will be speaking to the University of Nebraska football and men's basketball teams, among the most notable athletic programs. 

Later this fall, Dr. Williams will join forces with the CEO of Sportyrich Enterprises, Michael L. Bivins, one of the founders of legendary R&B groups New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe, to speak to college students about having a "Plan B" and the importance of striving for excellence.
 
Dr. Williams is the co-author of "The Art of Networking: It is Not Who You Know, but Who Knows You." His insights have been featured in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, the Wall Street Journal, Source, AdWeek, and USA Today.

He was featured on the cover of the Network Journal as one of the Top 40 Business Leaders in America under 40 years old and was 2011 Black Men's Magazine Man of the Year.
 
Dr. Williams earned a Doctorate in Education from West Virginia University, a Masters in Sport Management from the prestigious Isenberg School of Business at the University of Massachusetts and a 1997 Bachelor in Sociology from nearby William Paterson University, where he served as a student member on the University's Board of Trustees. Dr. Williams was a former collegiate track and field student-athlete standout at HBCU North Carolina A&T University. As a high schooler at Hanover Park and Roxbury High Schools, he was one of the top quarter-milers in the state; he is an alum of Roxbury High.

"It is a true honor to share my knowledge with the student-athletes at New Jersey City University," Dr. Williams said. "I am excited to be able to return to my great home state of New Jersey and work closely with an institution that respected my Godfather, Dr. Lee Hagen for his tireless work ethic and dedication to NJCU and named the NJCU Africana Studies Center after him. NJCU has long been known as an outstanding academic institution with an outstanding athletic department and rich diversity. I am also excited to work closely with some of NJCU's most respected administrators and coaches in the nation at all levels such as; athletic director Alice De Fazio, athletic communications director Ira Thor and basketball coach, Marc Brown. I marvel at the brilliance, commitment and tireless work ethic of NJCU student-athletes. Most of them work full or part time while playing their sport and being full-time students. What these young warriors are doing is something to be admired. It is my hope NJCU student-athletes will continue to be vigilant, resourceful and strive for the same standard of excellence that I strive for daily."
 

Currently, Dr. Williams is the co-founder and Director of the 3rd annual Harvard University Cancer Advocacy and Sports Health Summit in conjunction with the Harvard Global Health Catalyst Summit at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, working with athletes on fighting cancer and encouraging global health awareness.
 
Dr. Williams also is on the Board of Directors for College Football's Jet Awards, presented to the top college punt returner in the United States. He is featured in an upcoming PBS documentary on the "Culture of Sports", narrated by actor James Earl Jones. Meanwhile, he is directing and producing a documentary on the History of Life Skills, focusing on student-athletes at the University of Nebraska.
 
He is a mentor to notable NFL rookies Deshaun Watson, Christian McCaffrey, Joshua Dobbs and Adoree' Jackson and Seattle Seahawks' All-Pro Tyler Lockett.
 
Dr. Williams was previously awarded a three-year NCAA Grant to provide Leadership and Life Skills programs for student-athletes at Historically Black Colleges. He is the founder and director of the Hornets Leadership Academies for student-athletes at Alabama State University.
 
The City of Springfield, Massachusetts and Mayor Domenic Sarno will honor him with a "Dr. Marc Williams Day" this fall in recognition of his impact and influence on empowering young people about the importance of education, service and career aptitude.
 
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DR. MARC WILLIAMS:
 
"Dr. Williams' energy and passion for helping young adults reach their full potential is unmatched. He delivered an outstanding networking session to our student-athletes. Our student-athletes were drawn in by Dr. Williams' impressive network; however, what impressed me the most, was his willingness to bring the student-athletes into his network and connect them with successful businessmen and women who can help our student-athletes reach their professional goals."
  "Dr. Marc Williams has brilliantly bridged the gap from athlete to an effective leader in the academic and athletics arena. I have known Marc since I was a child. I have watched him grow from an elite high school athlete to a brilliant scholar. His inspirational mentorship and dynamic program implementation have played a positive, integral role in the careers of numerous collegiate and elite athletes including mine. His commitment to service inspires me to make indelible contributions to my community today and his legacy is the epitome of character, pertinacity and initiative to make the world a better place."
  "Dr. Marc Williams has been a part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame family since an internship brought him to the Hall in the late 1990's. He continues his passion and commitment to the mission of the Hall of Fame in educating all fans about basketball's greatest moments and people who built this great game. He remains intimately involved in strategic initiatives with the Hall of Fame challenging us to think outside of the box. He has been and continues to be a vital resource and idea generator and we embrace and appreciate his spirit of partnership and collaboration!"
  "I have known Dr. Marc Williams for 20 years since our days as grad school classmates at the University of Massachusetts Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management. He is a master at developing relationships, and more importantly, he is someone that has a passion for developing young people. He's someone that I've kept in touch with regularly over the years, and that's a credit to his ability to continually engage and communicate in a sincere and genuine manner. As a former Division III student-athlete at Wesleyan University, I believe Dr. Marc is the right person to educate, inspire and empower student-athletes at NJCU and athletes of all levels of elementary, high school, college and the pros. Many NBA Athletes know and have worked with Dr. Marc and he has left a lasting impression on them.  He is the one of the best at preparing athletes for life."   GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:
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