Lake Forest College 2017 graduate Sam Mulford landed his dream job immediately following graduation.
Often times the transition from college to the workplace can present stresses for students who are in the job hunt or navigating through the interviewing process. For Mulford, however, the transition from the classroom to the front office of the Chicago Bears was as smooth as any student could hope for.
Mulford joined the Chicago Bears staff in May as a Football Assistant. In this role, he works directly with Head Coach John Fox and assists with a variety of assignments, including film breakdown, meeting and game week preparation, and statistical analysis. Mulford also serves as a liaison between various departments, Coach Fox, and the entire coaching staff.
Mulford graduated from the College with a major in sociology and anthropology and a minor in history. He was a four-year letter winner on the Forester football team and played in 36 of 40 games during his career. Mulford also earned Academic All-Midwest Conference honors twice and was named to the 2017 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions who maintained a cumulative 3.2 grade point average throughout their collegiate career. In addition, Mulford was a semifinalist for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded to the best football scholar-athlete in the country.
When asked what the most rewarding part of his job has been thus far, Mulford stated "to just be a part of the Chicago Bears family. One thing that we always preached and appreciated during my time at Lake Forest College as a varsity football player was the family atmosphere we had developed, as well as the Forester Family atmosphere that is all around the College." Mulford goes on to say that, "the atmosphere around the Chicago Bears is very similar in that way. Being a part of their family is just an absolute privilege and honor. To be able to walk the same halls as so many greats and have the opportunity to contribute to the organization in a positive way is very rewarding."
Mulford not only experienced great success as an athlete and student, but he was also actively involved on campus and in the community. He served as vice president and social chair of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, supported and raised funds for the football team's Relay for Life efforts, and participated in several other charitable events. In 2015 Mulford was presented the Forester Commitment Award for his dedication to team engagement, campus involvement, and community service.
Mulford, who credits his early success to a family friend who helped him obtain the first interview, encourages all students to "use their network to look for job opportunities, just like I did. This could be through a family, coach, teammate, or an alumni network."
Mulford also expressed that the Forester Game Plan played a role in his hiring. The Forester Game plan is a unique four-year program that prepares student-athletes for life after Lake Forest College. It is a collaborative effort between the athletic department and the Career Advancement Center and the benefits of the program are noticeable on several levels.
"The Forester Game Plan program was extremely beneficial in helping me develop my skills and learn about all the tools and opportunities available. Through the program, I was able to practice my interviewing skills and meet a variety of people in different fields," commented Mulford, who went through a series of five interviews before receiving an offer.
Mulford's long-term plan is to continue working with a professional sports team, preferably in the National Football League. He has hopes to learn as much as he can during his time with the Chicago Bears to grow both personally and professionally.
"I am just very blessed to be able to work for the Chicago Bears because during my time at Lake Forest College I completely fell in love with the Lake Forest area and the city of Chicago. I will hopefully perform my job at a level that allows me to stay in the industry for the rest of my life."