Internship Program Helping Players Prepare for Life After Football
7/18/2025 1:17:00 PM | Football, Office of Student-Athlete Success
Offseason for college football players often includes hours in the weight room training for the upcoming campaign. For many UB football players, once they leave the Brittany Murchie Mulla Sports Performance Center they are changing from their sweaty workout gear to dress shirts and khaki pants to head to the office.
Thanks to an internship program instituted by head coach Pete Lembo, several Bulls are earning practical experience will local businesses that will help prepare them for success once they graduate, and their playing careers are over.
With the help of UB's Director of Player Development Keith Molinich, Lembo assembled the Football Internship Committee, a group consisting of prominent UB alumni, to assist with internship placement.
"We believe in the holistic development of our student-athletes and preparation for life after their playing careers end is part of that," Lembo said. "We have great access to resources in the private sector here in Western New York and we appreciate the interest in making these opportunities possible. As employees get to know our players, they are also likely to become active supporters of our program."
Players are using this summer to gain valuable experience in everything from marketing and sales to wealth management, hospital administration and even police work.
"Coach Lembo spoke with the team about how he wants us to get job experience while still playing here at UB for life after football," offensive lineman James Carrington III said. "He and Coach Molinich worked with me and our other seniors to find the perfect fit for us."
Carrington and safety Jonathan Capo are both doing marketing and social media internships for Triad Healthcare Recruiting and bizWin Strategies, companies owned by Dharshan Jayasinghe, a UB grad and member of the Football Internship Committee.
"Jon Capo and I work together to help run the marketing for Triad Healthcare and Triad Academics," Carrington added. "For both of those companies, we work with Dharshan to try to get his company's name out there. Our biggest job is to raise awareness and bring more attention to his company."
What's unique about the internship program is that it's not only UB alumni giving back but UB football alumni are also helping the cause. Todd Robertson, a linebacker for the Bulls in the mid-2000s, and his wife, Danielle Richmond, founded Vector Venture LLC, a medical technology company.
Safety Jerrod Gentry and quarterback Gunnar Gray are both doing internships in their medical device sales division and are gaining valuable hands-on experience.
"Twice a week we meet up and go over medical device sales as well as basic life skills like investing," Gray said. "We even had an opportunity to witness a surgery."
Jamarl Eiland, a wide receiver for the Bulls from 2014-17, is the local Riddell representative in the Greater Buffalo area. He has helped long snapper Andrew Schnackenberg secure a sales internship with the football equipment company.
Mitchell Gonser, a graduate transfer linebacker from Harvard, is completing an internship with Sanderson Wealth Management. Fellow linebacker Connor Henderson is completing an internship in healthcare administration at Brylin Hospital.
Some players haven't even needed to leave campus to find their opportunities as wide receiver Mark-Anthony Scott, Jr. is interning with the UB Athletics Marketing and Community Engagement Office and linebacker Mathew Hilty and offensive lineman Alex Heininger are working with Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Aiden Riley in Strength and Speed. In addition, Tyler Doty has been working with the UB police department.
"A lot of people I know who play at other programs don't have any idea what they want to do after football," Gray said. "Having this to lean back on and knowing you have experience in the real world, is super important and I think everyone should, if they can, try to do that."
For more information about the Football Internship Program or to get involved, please contact Keith Molinich (keithmol@buffalo.edu).
Thanks to an internship program instituted by head coach Pete Lembo, several Bulls are earning practical experience will local businesses that will help prepare them for success once they graduate, and their playing careers are over.
With the help of UB's Director of Player Development Keith Molinich, Lembo assembled the Football Internship Committee, a group consisting of prominent UB alumni, to assist with internship placement.
"We believe in the holistic development of our student-athletes and preparation for life after their playing careers end is part of that," Lembo said. "We have great access to resources in the private sector here in Western New York and we appreciate the interest in making these opportunities possible. As employees get to know our players, they are also likely to become active supporters of our program."
Players are using this summer to gain valuable experience in everything from marketing and sales to wealth management, hospital administration and even police work.
"Coach Lembo spoke with the team about how he wants us to get job experience while still playing here at UB for life after football," offensive lineman James Carrington III said. "He and Coach Molinich worked with me and our other seniors to find the perfect fit for us."
Carrington and safety Jonathan Capo are both doing marketing and social media internships for Triad Healthcare Recruiting and bizWin Strategies, companies owned by Dharshan Jayasinghe, a UB grad and member of the Football Internship Committee.
"Jon Capo and I work together to help run the marketing for Triad Healthcare and Triad Academics," Carrington added. "For both of those companies, we work with Dharshan to try to get his company's name out there. Our biggest job is to raise awareness and bring more attention to his company."
What's unique about the internship program is that it's not only UB alumni giving back but UB football alumni are also helping the cause. Todd Robertson, a linebacker for the Bulls in the mid-2000s, and his wife, Danielle Richmond, founded Vector Venture LLC, a medical technology company.
Safety Jerrod Gentry and quarterback Gunnar Gray are both doing internships in their medical device sales division and are gaining valuable hands-on experience.
"Twice a week we meet up and go over medical device sales as well as basic life skills like investing," Gray said. "We even had an opportunity to witness a surgery."
Jamarl Eiland, a wide receiver for the Bulls from 2014-17, is the local Riddell representative in the Greater Buffalo area. He has helped long snapper Andrew Schnackenberg secure a sales internship with the football equipment company.
Mitchell Gonser, a graduate transfer linebacker from Harvard, is completing an internship with Sanderson Wealth Management. Fellow linebacker Connor Henderson is completing an internship in healthcare administration at Brylin Hospital.
Some players haven't even needed to leave campus to find their opportunities as wide receiver Mark-Anthony Scott, Jr. is interning with the UB Athletics Marketing and Community Engagement Office and linebacker Mathew Hilty and offensive lineman Alex Heininger are working with Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Aiden Riley in Strength and Speed. In addition, Tyler Doty has been working with the UB police department.
"A lot of people I know who play at other programs don't have any idea what they want to do after football," Gray said. "Having this to lean back on and knowing you have experience in the real world, is super important and I think everyone should, if they can, try to do that."
For more information about the Football Internship Program or to get involved, please contact Keith Molinich (keithmol@buffalo.edu).
Players Mentioned
S
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
S
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LS
/ Football
WR
/ FootballUB Football Postgame Press Conference (vs. St. Francis)
Saturday, September 06
Head Coach Pete Lembo on what he learned vs. Minnesota and the challenge this weeks matchup presents
Tuesday, September 02
Linebacker Dion Crawford talks Shaun Dolac's influence and if his skills could translate to offense
Tuesday, September 02
Wide Receiver Victor Snow on staying consistent and his journey to Buffalo
Tuesday, September 02
