Former College of Charleston softball outfielder Jordan Trgovac ('16) gets ready for the National Football League's Kickoff to the 2020 season tonight as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Houston Texans live from Arrowhead Stadium on NBC.
 
Trgovac, who is in her third season serving as a communications assistant for the Chiefs, will be working behind-the-scenes before and after the big broadcast. Her day usually begins at 5:00 a.m. to review media alerts, read articles and discuss pressing national news with the entire team (players, coaches and staff) to make sure everyone is on the same page.
 
Back in 2018, she was hired full-time by the organization after interning with the Chiefs, USA Football and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Trgovac credits her path to the NFL to the communication curriculum at College of Charleston.
 
"I am so proud to be a College of Charleston Cougar and am one of the few in the Midwest area," she said. "I learned so many things at College of Charleston that have helped me in my career in the NFL. I was able to take a variety of courses that exposed me to many different people and ideas which have helped me in my work in the NFL. Every day in the NFL can present a new and different challenge – that is something CofC prepared me for during my time there."
 
Her father, Mike, was a defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers and is currently a senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders. Trgovac got her early start in operations and communications in high school, serving as a press box assistant with the Packers.
 
"I am fortunate that I grew up with a family that worked in sports," she said. "That has always helped me in my dealing with professional athletes and coaches. But, my time as a student-athlete taught me a lot about myself and the importance that failure can have in your success."
 
After suffering an injury during her junior year, Trgovac turned her focus even more intently to her career aspirations. Before that injury, she played in 57 career games for the Cougars scoring 21 runs during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
 
"Being a member of the College of Charleston softball team gave me lifelong friendships that I lean on almost every day," she said. "Those teammates have been there for me during all of my successes and failures. I can't thank CofC Athletics and my coaches enough for bringing those girls into my life."
 
Trgovac graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in hospitality and tourism management. She is currently working towards earning her master's degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University.
 
As the NFL continues to grow and expand, so has the hiring and promotion of women in a league once dominated by males, particularly in the front office and on the sidelines. Trgovac is one of a few women and people of color in the communications field in the NFL.
 
"I try not to focus too much on being a woman in sports, but I am aware that my success in the NFL will help other women who are trying to break into the industry," she said. "There are times when you have to work twice as hard to get to the same place as someone else, but I think that makes me that much better at my job and enhances my interactions with everyone in my organization."
 
A few things will be different on game day as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the sports world to adjust with more safety precautions for players, coaches, staff, media and fans.
 
"COVID-19 has certainly made this one of the most interesting seasons that I think I will ever work," she said. "We are one of the few teams that are able to have fans in our stadium on game day and we are very lucky that we get to bring live football to Chiefs Kingdom.
 
"Every aspect of what we do is different this year. From testing every day to having to completely redesign the way we set up a press box, so the media can do their job in a safe and efficient manner. This season has taken some creativity to get ready for, but everyone at the Chiefs organization has taken that challenge head on and I believe we are going to have another successful season defending our title."
 
Trgovac was present during the Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV Champions Ring Ceremony on Sept. 1. With no football team at the College of Charleston since the early 1900s, it's safe to say that Trgovac also holds the distinction of being the only CofC student-athlete alumnus to earn a Super Bowl ring.
 
Your support helps to mold and develop the lives of our student-athletes, so they can achieve success and make a difference in their communities after graduation. For more information, log onto: https://cofccougarclub.com or contact The Charleston Athletic Fund by phone at: (843)953-8255 or e-mail at: cougarclub@cofc.edu