Jason Licht (’94) has spent much of his professional life facing the bright lights of the media spotlight.
As the general manager of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Licht’s decisions shape the roster and set the future for a passionate fan base.
But nothing, Licht said, could prepare him for giving a speech at his alma mater this spring as Nebraska Wesleyan’s commencement speaker.
“I was more nervous about that commencement speech than just about any press conference I’ve ever done,” said Licht recently. “But it ended up being one of the best days of my career.”
“Nebraska Wesleyan has just given me such an important foundation. So coming back all these years later and having an opportunity to give back, even if it was just sharing my story, it meant a lot to me.”
As Licht and the Buccaneers moved through the NFL Draft in late April, his NWU speech was still in the back of his mind.
Licht was eager to give back to a place that has given so much to him.
“Those relationships weren’t temporary. I’m still really close with people from those years. A lot of my teammates. I still talk with my ex-coach. I still talk every once in a while with (Professor Emeritus of Biology) Garry Duncan,” Licht said.
“Everybody there has supported me. They’ve supported me through my career. That’s probably one of the best things I can say about the Wesleyan experience. I didn’t just leave there with a degree. I think those relationships have lasted my entire life, and in the business I’m in, I’ve learned that relationships and trust are everything.”
In an NFL career that began in 1995, one year after he graduated from NWU with a degree in biology, Licht has been a part of five Super Bowls and two Super Bowl championships while rising the highest-ranking front office position in the NFL outside of team ownership.
But back in the early 1990s, Licht was a transfer from the University of Nebraska who came to NWU looking for an opportunity to play football while working toward becoming a pediatrician.
After Licht arrived in University Place, a familiar story took hold. He got personal attention from NWU’s football coaches and faculty. His confidence grew. And his life began to take off.
“They weren’t trying to make me fit into some predetermined mold. They got to know me and gave me the confidence to be who I was,” Licht said of his mentors at NWU.
Those mentors included NWU Hall of Fame football coach Jim Svoboda, and defensive coordinator Steve Stanard. They also included Duncan and others in the biology department.
Licht went on to become a two-time all-conference defensive lineman for NWU. He got that biology degree — though he jokes it’s a good thing he never used it.
And he developed relationships and a love for his school that have lasted a lifetime.
“People knew who you were. They knew what you were capable of. And they took personal interest in helping you get there,” Licht said. “Looking back, I think I needed more of that at that time in my life than I probably realized.”