In Black America; Tony Wyllie (The Houston Texans)

From the University of Texas at Austin, KUT Radio, this is In Black America. I felt at that time that it was there talking to me and immediately I'm not a shy person so I ended up calling, this is 1989 and only school within this area that had a sports manager program was Rice. It was a grad program, a grad program, so I ended up visiting the dean and he basically said if you want to get into sports management it was an eye-opening experience because he went to UMass which was probably one of the top programs in the nation and he said they only accepted maybe 20 people into the program and asked well how many applicants did they receive, he goes 2000 and he said you got to be able to bring something to the tables you could just happen to desire is not enough if you want to make it and so I went to my placement office at Texas Southern and had them write all these different programs,

Ohio, U, Temple, Grandling, South Carolina and I noticed a lot of them had journalism in their curriculums. Tony Wiley, vice president of communications, the Houston Texans. For nine seasons Wiley has been responsible for shaping and molding the Texans image in the public and the community. He serves as the go-between between the local and national media and the Texans players, coaches and front office. He generates publicity for the team while serving as their spokesperson. Also he oversees the Texans public relations, community relations, media products department and the Houston Texans foundation. He is in his 16th year in the national football league in 2004 and 2007 Wiley and his staff earned the Pete Rosello Award which is presented annually by the pro football writers of America to the best NFL public relations staff. I'm Johnny El Hanson, Jr. and welcome to another edition of In Black America. On this week's program, the Houston Texans with Tony Wiley, vice president communications

in Black America. I knew what to do from the opening game on. I didn't have any experience about that point to the opening game so I ended up taking three trips. I went to Cleveland. I went to Charlotte. I went to Jacksonville. I went to Minnesota to talk to Minnesota while not only I spoke into football teams but hockey teams. I just started. Most recent expansion team and one thing they told me was remember everything you do is history. So you make sure you keep everything because you only do it once, one time. So I remember expansion draft I kept the mic flag, the exact cards that they used, everything and everything, same with the first draft, everything was a first. So I wanted to make sure we had it. So we were really, it was exciting not only making history but also recording it. In 2002, the Houston Texans joined the National Football League as an expansion team. They became the NFL's 32nd franchise. The city's previous franchise, the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997,

changing their name to the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The Texas I currently and a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the NFL. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Wiley was raised in Houston, Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Southern University. Wiley T.S.U., he worked three years in their sports information department. In 1991, he began his NFL career as a game day intern with the Houston Oilers. Wiley has worked for the San Diego Chargers, the Dallas Cowboys. He earned a Super Bowl ring there. The Los Angeles St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Oilers. When he joined the Oilers, he became the youngest PR director in the National Football League. Recently in Black America, traveled to Houston, Texas to speak with Tony Wiley. I noticed a lot of them had journalism in their curriculums, a lot of their programs. So I ended up changing my major in journalism. I was saying all that to say that my first assignment with my journalism class was to pick a mentor and interview him.

Now, I remember 1989. Bob Watson was the only black general manager in all of sports. And I'm like, let me try and call him. I reached out to him. Not only did he call me back, he spent three hours on the phone with me. And the last thing he said was, if you want to do this, you can do it. So I ended up going to my sports information office and started volunteering and spent three years there and before I graduated and got to travel. We had pretty decent basketball team got to go to the NCAA tournament. And like I said, we had straight hand, a couple other prospects to go professional. We had Walter Heismid, Coach Heismid, head connections. And I just met people in the rest of history. I know about Reggie Roberts and Atlanta and yourself here in Houston. Are the other African Americans that are in positions such as yours and NFL? Like that have the same title, me and Reggie are the same vice presidents that look like us. But we have Bruce Bay. Bruce is a head top guy with the Jets. We have David Lockett, who's a top guy with the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have Mike Taylor, who's with Oakland Raiders.

But there's dozens more. But one thing I'm proud of is that I had a hand in the young guys coming up by either to either they work with me or I mentor them. And it's probably close to 20, not only in black, but white as everybody. But I helped, because I've been helped the same. I try to help them the same way that I've been helped. I read something of your commitment to bring HBCU students into the phone, into this type of business, game day employees. It was it was commitment that you may once you receive your position to bring other people up through the ranks. No question. That's what I got started. I mean, you won't know, but first of all, you can't be what you're going to see. And if you don't believe, you're not going to achieve. So I just want to give kids a chance to really see what this is like. Get a chance to really walk the walk, get exposed to it, because it's not for everyone. How do you know unless you try?

I mean, internships, game day internships, whatever, can show you two things. One, if you really want to do it, and two, if you don't want to do it. But most people want to do it, because most people, you know, they would love sports. And like, myself, if I wasn't involved here, I would still be watching football, so be reading about it. So why not get paid for it? So I mean, yeah, I am committed because I feel blessed, and at least I can do is try to bless others. 1991, I believe, your Texas Southern or attempting to graduate Texas Southern at that time. Looking at it in 2008, the PR business, what more is involved than it was back then. Each team has a webpage, so there's much more than just words. Now you have video and all the other things that go along with maintaining a website. You said it, technology. 1991, I didn't have a cell phone, you know, I didn't have a cell phone. We were using facts on demand to us for stats and things like that, and nowadays things are so instant.

I mean, in the technology age now, you can look at videos on a cell phone. You can, a person can do an interview, and it's posting on a web all over the world within minutes. That has changed. That has changed. And we were, I remember trying to fact stuff on MicroStraian to help them become all America. Now, you can just send an email blast. So I think at, I mean, I, yes, even though it's only been 16 years, but the kids coming up, I keep telling my day, we used to do this, and they look at me like I'm a dinosaur. Exactly. Exactly. But all in all, it's about promoting, promoting your organization, promoting the players during different ways to do it, but the bottom line is you really have to promote and get the word out on your organization. That hasn't changed. Give us an idea. You said, you came on board with the new franchise, the 30-second franchise. There was a lot of grandma and Bob McNair tried to get a hockey team that failed through and didn't ever, back and forth, like about L.A. trying to get a team, they couldn't get it together.

So Houston was finally awarded that franchise. But after the franchise is awarded, I have assumed the real work begins, you have to have a name for the team, the logo, the uniforms, explain it through that process, and then some other questions I wanted to augment that particular first question. First thing is, I mean, just getting the franchise, I mean, Bob McNair paid a record number of 700 million. That's million, million for the franchise, and we had to think of ways to generate the money to build the stadium, which was over budget, I think initially it was 300, and it was costing like 425 million. Well, you know, the Carolina Panthers started a PSL program, a permanent seat licensing, where I think you, well, you pay one fee, which goes, people, there's misconception that they think the team gets that. No, the county got the PSL money because they helped pay for the bonds to pay for the stadium. That's it. You have to pay for season tickets, we ended up getting a big response for season ticket holders. Of course, when the team leaves and they go to Tennessee, they miss, I mean, this is Texas,

this is football. So it took the city, it took the politicians, it took Mr. McNair as well as the fans to come together to really make this thing work, as well as the corporate sector. I mean, you have to build suites, people have to buy suites, or a lion stepped up with them on the name and rights deals, and if people know about a lion because of the stadium, it's a big exposure, the benefits of being associated with the building is big. And then, what do you call a team? I mean, my first came on board, we did the logo and named the Texans, I was a whole process, he spoke to focus groups. I had a similar background with that with Tennessee, you know, when they changed the name to Titans, you know, they didn't like the name more or less. Same thing I had to go through with St. Louis, the only difference was we had to build a new stadium. So I've been on three different startups in a sense. But this was different because I was there two years before we even signed our first player. So we got the name and rights deal, we had the groundbreaking of the stadium, we had to see the building of the stadium.

Once we had our name, then then after, once all that, the business sector gets situated, we get the general manager in, we have to head coach, and then you get to sign the first player. One thing I remember, John, everything we did, because now you know, one thing, the first thing I did when I first got this job, I knew what to do from the opening game on. I didn't have any experience about from that point, to the opening game. So I ended up taking three trips, I went to Cleveland, I went to Charlotte, I went to Jacksonville, I went to Minnesota, I talked to Minnesota while, not only I spoke into football teams, but hockey team that just started, most recent expansion teams. And one thing they told me was, remember, everything you do is history. So you make sure you keep everything, because you only do it once, one time. So I remember expansion draft, I kept the mic flag, the exact cards that they used, everything and everything, same with the first draft, everything was a first.

So I wanted to make sure we had it. So we were really, it was exciting not only making history, but also recording it. Were you nervous doing that process, did you second think yourself? You know what, I really didn't, you know why, because I was prepared. Plus I had a good resource, I had Charlie Dayton with the Panthers, I had Dan Edwards. So before I really did anything, if I was unsure of something, I would bounce it off with some guys that actually did it before. And one thing they did told me, they said, hey, that expansion year is going to be rough on you mentally. And honestly, with the exception of the 2 and 14 season that we had here, that was probably the most taxing year mentally, because things started from February with the expansion draft. And it then ease up at all. We had more than 500 people for our first practice, medium, 500 media members for our first practice to get ready for the Hall of Fame games. So I mean, I really, I need to have to take off and really recharge the batteries after

that season. But I wouldn't change anything, I didn't, I wouldn't regret it was really fun. It wasn't at last a franchise, so was it difficult in gaining the enthusiasm and trust from Houstonians, once the decision was made to bring a franchise back to the city? Not at all, because Bob McNair has had impeccable reputation around the city. It's been in Houstonians since 1960, self-made billionaire, but the B billionaire. So that coupled with, we're having a building of state-of-the-art stadium, I mean, it's not playing in the Ashtonown, the Ashtonown was a cookie cutter, baseball multi-puts, purpose stadium. The days of the multi-purpose stadium are over now. You know, people wanted their own buildings, the Ashtones had their own building. I mean, when you think about Houston, that rock is at the new building, and then the Texans had their new building. So you have three stadiums really built rather quickly in the same city, which is unheard of.

So, no, not at all. The fans were excited about football just having NFL back. And the people that are running it, they really had confidence in. Speaking of stadiums, when you build a new stadium, you have your idea of what the stadium should be like, fan-fimly. Tell us about that process, what went into the thought processes when reliant was built. Big thing, focus groups. Focus groups. Like the OJ say, you gotta give the people, you gotta give the people what they want. So I mean, they want it wide-con courses, you want it to better sight lines. I mean, we have what, eight floors, but no better, I mean, you're right on top of the action. It wasn't like that in the Ashtonum, because the 50-yard line seats were the furthest, because it's a baseball stadium. Football has probably decided afterwards, and you can tell. So it's built for football, it's made for football. They want an outdoor field, but then when the rodeo came in, because you know, it was a three-party, you know, the rodeo had to come in, which is the largest, probably in

one of the nations. And they needed, that's what a retractical roof came in, because they're like, well, we can't have an outdoor stadium, because we need to have it for bad, for bad weather, we gotta be able to close it. So that's when a retractical roof came in. So we built the first retractical roof stadium in the NFL. Now there's one, they name it all over, exactly. When one comes into this particular business with a new franchise, they're staying with the staff that has to be hired. Tell us about that process, particularly your staff, and then I guess the management staff of the franchise. Again, everything is first, everything's first. It was pretty lean early on, because, you know, we didn't start up. That was also very taxing, because being from Houston, working in the NFL had the excitement with the new team. I mean, everyone came out the woodworks trying to get a job. And I don't blame them. I mean, I was running into people from high school, hey, let's go to lunch, makes you

know they bring in a couple of people with them, that they say, oh, this person would be like, would like to work in marketing. So I mean, my phone was ringing off the hook, but people are getting hired. My parents were getting harassed, you name it, but once everything settled in, probably brought them out in 2002, I mean, I had to get people to experience. So you only as good as your staff, so we got people, they really, I didn't have time to teach. I mean, we were hitting the ground running. So I was able to hire a good staff that had experienced a new, what was going on. And we were a close-knit group, we're like a family. I mean, this is not a Fortune 500 company, it's only 100 employees, and I had a staff of like 12, and we saw each other more than we saw our own families. So I mean, it's a tight-knit group, but bottom line is John, we have a lot of fun. Like Controversy, I'm quite sure a lot of words were written, a lot of video shot, 2006 draft, didn't draft Vince Young hometown boy. Tell us about that process of explaining why that didn't happen.

Defense wins championships. Defense wins championships. I think that couple with being in the AFC South, going up against a guy that was in the apolis Colts, wearing the number 18 jersey, and the best way to beat him is to put Prash on him, and of course, the exciting part about that April 2006, I think not only in Houston, but I think in around office coolers, churches, barbershops, ice cream shops, everyone was debating who should they pick, everyone was debating, and I was excited, being a PR person, of course, you want everyone talking about your team, but then after the draft they're talking about us as well, and not the way that I wanted them to talk about us, but I told Mr. McNair, hey, we got stick to our guns, and you know, you just let our criticism roll off of you, and I kind of remembered what Jeff Fisher used to say back in 98, because you know, when I was with the Oilers at that time, they passed on Randy Moss and pick

Kevin Dyson, that's a top pick, and people always ask Jeff Fisher, what were you thinking he goes, you know what, ask me that same question five years from now, and that's something I always told Bob, I said, hey, you know what, let's think about that question five years from now, well it's not quite five years, and I think we're happy with the results, I mean Mario, or up most respect for what he's been through all the pressure, having had on his shoulders, and he just started playing, and you know, no knock on the other two guys, it worked out for all three teams, but I think we're really happy with Mario, because he's going to be, he's probably hopefully going to, he should have made the pro bowl last year, and he's playing, not only, he's meeting expectations, but I think at this point he's surpassing him. Two years after the signing of the franchise, you all get to Super Bowl, how did you all put off that carrot? Well, you have a good city, you have a good ownership group, and you have a good stadium, but I think that was promised, that was promised as part of the expansion that would get a Super Bowl,

and that's something that I probably will never forget, I remember just why I've been to a lot of Super Bowls, but I never got to eat breakfast at my house and get up and drive to a Super Bowl, so that was something that was kind of weird, and also seeing everyone kind of like, kind of like taking over your house, and just, you know, overseeing it, if just people coming in, taking over your house, and just running everything, but that was kind of strange as well, but it was exciting because I was the ultimate host. The league counted on me since it was my press box, the really, I was a troubleshooter, and I got a chance to again hire college kids, you talking about kids from Black colleges and U of H and Rice, that has an opportunity not only working in a game, but working to Super Bowl, so we have some kids that are going on and really part of that experience and getting full-time jobs, I mean that was fun all the way around, you have any problems getting t-times? Not at all, we had to succeed, I had two years and set it up though. So I had left that to John McLean too, but anyway, I had to set all that up two years prior. Was the experience that you had in your

other positions assisted you, what to expect for the Super Bowl when it came to Houston? I think it did. Well, that and also talking to my counterparts who's been with organizations that hosted one as well. The big thing they said was like you said, I'm going to kind of as a concierge, you make sure you get restaurants, you make sure you get t-times, I was the resource for all the media, for everyone, all my friends, whatever, they're here for that week in your city, so they're going to count on you for answers, and that's something I was really prepared for, but that week was hectic from start to finish because of which my phone was ringing off the hook, been going to the media center, promoting your organization, promoting your city, it was a whirlwind, it was a whirlwind. We see some of the things that go on after a football game, you are up in Minnesota. We see the press conference on NFL Network and some of the other sports channels. What other things

are happening that we don't see? Case in point, we had a situation with our quarterback thinking it hurt, so my job was to prepare the coach, get him in touch with the trainer or the doctors to go over the injuries, before we let the reporters in, I'll prep him, because it's not by accident that I'm sitting next to the media or behind him, so I can age drop, I'm age dropping because I want to know what they're thinking, so I can prepare my coach, prepare my team, before the questions are going to be asked by the media, so during that 10 minute cooling our period, we're letting people gather their thoughts, get prepared, just like they get prepared on the field, you got to get prepared for dealing with the reporters, because you don't want anyone saying or doing the wrong thing and misrepresent the organizational, put them in embarrassing moment. After the game, we have to get the statistics, get all the facts, even get all the scores of other games, get all that stuff together and get it for the coach and get it for the owner, and then we just basically

set up the interview, so the home time people already know our guys, but Minnesota reporters don't know who to put the Mico on the lines, looks like with his helmet off, so we usually just help service them as well as get what they need. You talk about the game that had taken place, when do you all look forward to the game that will happen that following weekend? Probably usually on that plane, I mean you have to, again, you have to, on the plane right home or right after the game, I mean do you, right after this week, we're going to start, really I'm preparing for the indie game this week and we play them next week by putting in the other our credential list, so to think about working this field, I don't think people that listeners need to understand, there's no off days, from the time we report to training camp, I'm not off until the end of January, so there's something to do at all times and that that's what kind of makes it exciting, the only thing typical about my day is that it's long, once one has gone through, I think the fire, what lessons have you learned in your 16 years in the NFL in these type of positions?

Relationships are essential, the world is very small and sports has a unique way of bringing not only cities but people all from all races, creeds and backgrounds together. I remember Tennessee, after I got to the music city miracle, he had fans, he had families that didn't even, that lived next door to each other for years, never spoken to each other but ran outside and hugging each other, you had people, I mean, dislike from I guess college, high school, whatever, when you're winning it brings people together and the longer that I'm doing this, I understand it's about relationships, I can call a editor about placing a story and the biggest lesson, you know, before 2002, before we played our first game, I took Mr. McNair to lunch with the editors, the big top guys at Sports Illustrated and I told them at the end, I said, hey, I've read your magazine for you as a little boy and for you grew up reading Sports Illustrated and you guys recorded history.

We're making history in Houston and guess what happened, before we even played our first game, David Carr is on the cover of Sports Illustrated and I ended up calling him and he said, you guys were one of the first owners to have lunch with me and that came a long way. So it's all about picking up the phone, reaching out to people and getting to know them. No you have to go, a couple more questions. Hurricane, I caught some problems with the stadium but also with, I guess, preparation for that, that week's game, but putting in perspective because these players live in Houston, they have families and you know, it is a sport and it's not the end all to, to all things. That is true, that is really true, I think that put them in perspective, you had Mr. McNair again, a billionaire, who owned the energy company, owned power plants and he was without power for two weeks.

That storm affected everyone in the organization as well, a lot of the people in the city of Houston and the Gulf Gulf area and it is just a game but I'll tell you what, it was good to get the guys out to house to focus on something for those couple of days because they really get back to normalcy and it also brought the organization together with the decisions it had to be made in working with the league, to cancel the game or move, to get the weeks, the games and it's just, you don't know the depth of people's character until you face with adversity and I guess we're battle tested right now. Final question Tony, you're getting ready to go vote, what are your feelings about this election season and also the public regulation aspects since you're in the same business? I'll tell you what, I gotta go back to again, being a youngster here in Houston and seeing Warren Moon and rooting for Randall Cunningham and Doug Williams and you're hearing that term, black quarterback, you so much, I got to work with a black quarterback, Steve McNair.

He wasn't called a black quarterback at that time because guys paved the way. I have a 15 month old son and I'm hoping for about a time he's in high school or college. They don't use the term black president because by then we've had three or four others and I think this is very, either way it goes, McCain or Roboma, this is very, very historic, a lot of people, a lot of excitement about this, this election, I mean there's more interest in this election and I'm really doing this for my children and just really knowing that this is gonna be a better world after this election, you talk about the most powerful person probably in a free world, in the nation, in the globe rather and this is really excited to really voice my opinion and I know people paved the way to even have our right to do this, to exercise this option and I don't take it for granted. Any final comments? Just that again in the spirit of Barack Obama, he's living the American dream and I just want to say that anyone that has desire to work in sports or rent anything that they want

to do, pick something that they really enjoy and because 10 times out of 10 if you enjoy it you're gonna do it well and just keep going first and let everything else fall on the resume. Tony Wiley, vice president, communications, the Houston Texans. If you have questions, comments or suggestions ask your future in black America programs write us, also let us know what radio station you heard us over. The views and opinions expressed on this program are not necessarily those of this station or of the University of Texas at Austin. You can hear previous programs online at kut.org. Until we have the opportunity again for a technical producer, David Alvarez, I'm Johnny Johansson Jr. Thank you for joining us today, please join us again next week. This has been a production of KUT Radio.