A Leader On and Off the Field: Kurt Danneker’s Journey to Success Through Sports, Academics and Leadership

This episode of the Leader Lounge features an interview with Ohio University football star and MSM student Kurt Danneker. Dr. Amy Taylor and Nick Winnenberg discuss Kurt's journey from high school recruit to college standout, and how he has managed to excel both on the football field and in the classroom, pursuing multiple degrees. Kurt shares insights into how he approaches leadership differently on the field versus in academic settings. He also reflects on how his views on leadership have evolved, and how the MSM program has helped shape his leadership philosophy. An inspiring story of achievement through passion, hard work and continual personal growth.

For more information about the Ohio University MSM Program, click this link!

Check out the Robert D. Walter Center for Strategic Leadership program here.

OnBrand Podcast Studios produced this episode. Special thanks to Audio Engineer Alex Winnenberg, Producer Nick Winnenberg, and Marketing Specialist Cori Stokes.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04: 0:00

Kurt Daniker, The Ohio University.

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

All right. This is Dr. Amy Taylor Bianco, and we're here at the Leader Lounge at Ohio University at the Robert D. Walter Center for Strategic Leadership. We are with Nick Winnenberg. and with Kurt Daniker. And we are gonna be talking today about kind of sports and life.

SPEAKER_03: 0:34

That's a very broad topic. No, I love it. We're gonna jump right into that. What's your first question?

SPEAKER_00: 0:40

I want to know, Kurt, because I have you as a student. I've met you in so many ways. You look very, very intimidating and scary on the field. I've seen you in local nonprofits doing work and really giving back, and you're an incredibly kind and giving person. You're also very, very bright in the classroom. How do you manage these different personas? How do you be all these things?

SPEAKER_04: 1:05

Right. Well, I think it's just important to understand who you are, what you're about, and just be authentic. You know, when I'm at football, I try to be a leader. I try to be motivating, try to be aggressive. When I'm in the classroom, I try to be collaborative, outgoing, understanding. And so I think just at the end of the day, you just have to be yourself. And then, you know, you're going to be different in different scenarios. And so I just try to have fun.

SPEAKER_03: 1:29

Just try and be me, not change for anybody. Well, and I think it's funny. The first time I ever met you was at PassionWorks. And you were in full suit and tie. It was like 90 degrees in there. But And then I watched some of your game tape, too, and you're right. The aggression comes out, right? That side of it. And then in the classroom, you're absolutely brilliant. So do they ever come into conflict?

SPEAKER_04: 1:51

Um... I don't think so. I think once you get to football, there's kind of a flip that switches, right, where it really puts all that away. Then as soon as I walk off the field, it kind of just floods back in. Yeah, I think if I got as aggressive as I did on the football field in the classroom, I'd probably be kicked out of here a long time ago. Yeah, that would be a video. Yeah, you try to keep the overlap separate. You try to keep the two separate, but yeah. Nice, I love

SPEAKER_03: 2:17

that. Can you tell me about your journey to Ohio University before you actually ended up coming here?

SPEAKER_04: 2:21

So I knew... From a really young age, I wanted to play college football. Growing up, I was always bigger than everybody. I started varsity when I was a freshman in high school. Oh, wow. Started to go through the recruiting process. Um, my sophomore year, I tore my labrum in my shoulder, had surgery, um, gained a lot of weight, um, was getting recruited by Penn state and some power five schools. Um, I showed up to summer camp and was super overweight and it kind of dropped me. So, um, going through my, I live about 45 minutes away from Penn state. Um, and so kind of with college recruiting, it goes like the power five schools closest to you. Um, when they offer you other power five schools from around the country, will start to offer you. So there was other schools that knew about me, but because Penn State never offered me, they never really thought I was worth it. So going through, finished my junior year, made all state, uh, was getting recruited by some more schools. Uh, my first offer was actually from Kent state, um, Kent state alum. Um, so I was getting recruited by a few max schools. Um, my offensive line coach in high school ran into the offensive line coach here at a clinic in Pittsburgh. And, um, it was like, Hey, we have this guy kind of under recruited right now, but I think he could be really good. He showed him my film and, uh, basically offered me on the spot. Uh, then, uh, up, up to that point, I had been to so many different colleges. And so I've I took one visit to Ohio, whereas I had took like three or four to Kent. I took like four visits to Buffalo. I took one visit here and committed because it was just I wanted a small college town that had that college feel and also be far away from home. So I took one visit here. We were walking around and I looked at my parents. I was like, I think this is it. I'm done looking. And then. I committed. Then I actually graduated high school a semester early. I graduated in December. I then enrolled here in January so I could get a jump. I could join in spring ball early and kind of get a jump on the other guys and also start academics a little earlier. So that was January of 2018.

SPEAKER_03: 4:24

And

SPEAKER_04: 4:24

here

SPEAKER_03: 4:25

I still am. So do you remember what part of campus you were when you're like, all right, it's here. Was it Court Street or Retire Light East Street? It's

SPEAKER_04: 4:31

actually funny. It was like the very end of the tour. They showed us Nelson Dining Hall. So I'm walking around with Nelson. We're like, all right, we're going to go look at the dining hall. Then we'll go back to the stadium and wrap up the visit. So we're in the dining hall. They gave us a second to walk around and I'm like walking with my parents. I'm like, guys, this is it. I'm committing. See, they had

SPEAKER_03: 4:48

like the stir

SPEAKER_04: 4:49

fry station. Yeah, I smelled the Chinese food. I'm like, I'm going here.

SPEAKER_00: 4:52

I'm going here. That's amazing. The food here is pretty incredible. I'm not

SPEAKER_03: 4:59

starving. That's brilliant. And then when you

SPEAKER_04: 5:01

started high university, what was your major? So I came in undecided. I didn't have the best SAT score. Same. Yeah. And so I didn't get into the College of Business right away. So I came in undecided. Kind of found out eventually about the sports management program, being the first in the country, and I'm biased, but I think the best. And so I started off in sports management, really loved it, but I felt like I wasn't kind of challenging myself enough. And so I was taking some of my intro level analytics classes, QBA 1720, and really kind of liked some of the analytics stuff. I was never a math person, but with analytics, you don't really have to do the math. you just have to do the process. And understand it a little bit. And so I took those analytics classes and I was like, you know what, why don't I just pick up a major in it while I'm at it. So then I did the sports management degree, my analytics degree. Ended up getting a marketing minor, then I joined the Shea and did a sales certificate. All in my undergrad. So it was quite a handful, but came out the other side. Yeah, with football

SPEAKER_00: 6:14

too. I looked back at

SPEAKER_04: 6:16

like how busy it was. Cause I mean, you would go to class all day from, you know, eight until like one, then have to literally sprint over to the facility and then practice for four hours and then get your study hall hours and tutoring. And so it was such full days. And I look back at it now, like my schedule is a lot easier now, but it was, it was an absolute grind for the first few years.

SPEAKER_00: 6:40

But just incredibly driven and, and driven. It seems like football is your first love. and you're so good at it, that that is a real future opportunity for you. you're also pursuing every educational opportunity while you're here.

SPEAKER_04: 6:56

Yeah, well, I still don't really know what I want to do. So I'm done here. But I've set myself up to where I can do a few different things. So I've thought about going into medical device sales or working in the sports analytics field with football. So I mean, there's a few different paths that I could go down. And I'm sure once I get into it, I'm probably going to jump around a few different

SPEAKER_00: 7:19

times. Yeah, well, you have a lot of interests. You're kind of passionate about a lot of different things. And so now you're in the master's of science and management and you can take kind of two specializations and combine them. So tell us like about that, what you're doing, what it's

SPEAKER_04: 7:33

like. Well, really, I never plan on getting a master's degree, right? Then COVID rolled around. So COVID rolled around and the NCAA gave us all an extra year of eligibility. And, you know, I was telling my family, like, I'm in no rush to go work for the next 40 years of my life. So I might as well stay in college. Like Everyone you ever talk to is like, college is the most fun time of your life, never leave. And so I took that to heart. So I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I was like, you know, I have a few more classes. I could get a marketing major undergrad. You already had two of those. I was like, yeah, I really don't know. And so I was talking to some of my teammates and Kayim Caesar pointed me in the direction of the MSM. He's like, hey, I'm in the MSM. You can pick your certificates. You can study what you want to study and you can grow graduate in a year and you're only taking two classes at a time, four classes a semester. And I was like, oh, and he's like, oh, by the way, it's all online. And I was like, if I can stay in my apartment and make some food, instead of having to run to class all over the campus and then go to the facility, I'm all about it. And so it was really that flexibility of the MSM that first drew me to it, and then also the flexibility where I can study what I want to study. Because I'm a person, if I'm in a class that I'm not really passionate about this subject I'm just not going to put forth a ton of effort like it's like I'm not I don't want to use this I don't want to ever have to do this in the future yeah and so we're in the MSM I'm doing things that I'm passionate about and it's getting my best effort

SPEAKER_00: 9:03

that's great and you're doing analytic right what are you

SPEAKER_04: 9:06

yeah I'm doing the business analytics certificate and strategic sales leadership

SPEAKER_00: 9:10

and sales yeah that combination that a lot of people don't have no yeah

SPEAKER_03: 9:15

and it's huge and it's interesting because you're going both sides right you're going for the people skills and also analytical skills yeah so I mean that's also a juggling act too right And speaking specifically, the analytics degree, there's a lot of stuff in that certificate.

SPEAKER_04: 9:26

Yeah, and it's such a growing area in business and also in sports, like in football. So many teams are investing in analytics teams. But I remember going through my undergrad, doing my sales certificate. A lot of salespeople don't have a lot of analytics training. They don't. So I figured I could make myself a lot more valuable to future employers by having both of those. And

SPEAKER_03: 9:49

a lot of analytics people don't have a lot of people training, right? Right. like you being the bridge there that's a hugely more yeah so like let me try and be a jack of both trades that

SPEAKER_00: 9:57

combination just really fits you you know the NBA is definitely right for some people because it kind of gives you that broad focus across but you you know what you like you know what areas you want to focus on and so it seems like then the MSM is good and something else I just want to note that like while you're doing all these things and you're playing football and you're getting all these degrees and and doing the MSM you actually come to all the optional things that the leadership board puts on. So the in-person things, the online, fireside chats, Nick has been running a lot of them.

SPEAKER_03: 10:32

But it's been amazing to watch your involvement with it too. And I guess the other portion I want to talk about this is you're a natural leader, right? On the sports field, off the sports field, the sports pitch, whatever that green thing is called. I know, wish we knew more. You have this leadership that you bring to it. So how much of that do you think translates? And did you learn to be a leader through football or is it something that you learned outside of football and brought to it?

SPEAKER_04: 10:54

So I think originally my leadership skills, I think, came from football. But being in the MSM and just going through all the education that I have, my idea of leadership has definitely changed over time. When you think of leadership relating to football, I think a lot of people just think of yelling and cussing people out. And hit them harder next time. Yeah, exactly. But there was one video I watched, and I think it was during my MSM. I forget what class it was. But this guy talks about leadership and different styles. And he gets up in front of this room and he brings this one person up with him. And he stands on the other side of the room. And he's like, I'm going to try and get this guy. I think it was in your class. And this video completely changed my ideas on leadership. So he goes to the other side of the room. And he tries to get this guy to come to the room to him. And the first way he does it, he just screams out, get over here right now. And the person, of course, is shocked and startled, a little bit confused. But they scurry across the floor over to him. And then the second time he goes and does it, he walks with him. He just has a conversation and walks across the room with him. And it really changed my idea of leadership because leadership is not just yelling and demanding things of people. It's a conversation. It's walking with them, showing them how it's done, and having a common understanding of what you want accomplished. Like I said, like originally my idea of leadership or how I was as a leader was just this like authoritarian dictator type yelling. Then kind of through my education and through the MSM, it kind of has developed into more of a conversation. leadership style, I guess.

SPEAKER_03: 12:35

Dang, that's a quote right there. End of testimonial. That's a mic drop, honestly. Dang. No, and that's brilliant. So do you think it's helped you on the football court?

SPEAKER_04: 12:48

I think so. Yeah. I think... I think to be an effective leader on a football team, you have to have an understanding for one another, right? Because a football team, it's such a diverse group of individuals. You have so many people from different geographic locations, economic backgrounds, family status, everything like that. And so you kind of have to find common ground that you can build off of. And so I think definitely... It's come a long way.

SPEAKER_00: 13:21

I see a lot of people looking up to you, like even within the program, you know, We're talking football now, so we'll stay with that, but even broader than that. But I see a lot of players coming in, starting the program, and really looking up to you and what you're doing. So you must be leading them on the field, but kind of off the field too, right? In your choices and your decisions.

SPEAKER_04: 13:43

And that didn't even start with me. I think I looked up to Kaim when he was in the program. And so I think it's sort of that thing where I hope it keeps getting passed down to where we have basically an advocate for the MSM in the football program that can keep, you know, pushing people into the program. That sounds great. Yeah, exactly,

SPEAKER_03: 14:06

exactly. That's

SPEAKER_00: 14:07

great. He was our first graduate. Yeah, that's

SPEAKER_03: 14:10

amazing. And Alex just grabbed the microphone. I know you got to get out of here, so I'm excited to hear what Alex's questions are. So I played high school football, so I just have some general football questions for you that I ask anyone that plays football. Burpees or sled drags? I think we can go ahead and turn our mics off for this. Like, which I would rather do? Yeah, what should you rather do if you had to do one? Sled. Burpees are just

SPEAKER_04: 14:30

awful. Burpees are miserable. I'd rather just push something than push myself up and off the ground a million times. What's your opinion on chop blocks? Chop blocks, honestly, they're taking them out of the game as much as they can. I know. The last time I did a chop block in a game was against Bowling Green in 2019. I was on the backside of option, and... Literally, we watched it on film. My coach was like, this is textbook how I teach cut block. And they flagged it for legal block below the waist because the defender has to be precisely angled towards the goal line. And you have to be precisely angled towards the goal line. And you can't get him, shot block him at an angle. And so I think in most instances, it's getting removed from the game, which is a shame because it's such an easy, it's such a fun block to do, especially when you do it right. How's your relationship with your center? Oh, it's great. Yeah. Parker Titsworth, number 69. I just did an interview with Russ Eisenstein with him last week. He's a great dude. He started as a walk-on here. He was undersized. He's like barely six foot. I give him crap all the time for being super short. But he's barely six foot. Came in at like 250 pounds, which is not a Division I offensive lineman size. Yeah. came in and really worked his butt off and earned a scholarship, earned a starting spot on the team. He's one of the best centers in the conference. But I really like that kid. We do step on each other's feet quite a bit. I made a TikTok. He stepped on my foot after practice one time. And so I took a laundry loop and looped it through his face mask and then got on a ladder and looped it on one of the pipes like 12 feet up in the locker room and laughed at him trying to get it down. But yeah I love Parker he's a great dude

SPEAKER_03: 16:17

so I was I was defensive tackle so I would have to line up against guys like you and I'm so a freshman year you you were on varsity did you play the

SPEAKER_04: 16:27

position you're playing now then or were you yeah actually so um I think my first game freshman year I played a little bit of left tackle then they moved me inside to left guard and from like the second game of my freshman season until now I've been playing left guard which is pretty fortunate for me but I I do work uh rotate a little bit uh just in practice just So in case something happens, I can bounce around to some of the other interior spots. But, yeah, I've been pretty fortunate playing left guard all this time. Yeah, it's an awesome position. That's all I got.

SPEAKER_03: 16:56

I have no idea anything you guys just said. So hopefully our audience does. But I do want to thank you. Well,

SPEAKER_04: 17:00

hopefully you know it's not a football court. It is a field.

SPEAKER_03: 17:03

Well, it threw me off because I just went to an FC Cincinnati game. And, like, it's a pitch. So I'm like, okay, is it a football pitch? Is it a football field? Is it a football court? Like, I don't even know where we're at. So a football field. That's good to know. But do you have any other comments with MSM, Pro? the impact or any other advice for students starting the program now

SPEAKER_04: 17:19

no just for advice for students in the program now I would just say build a plan but also understand that that plan is going to change and you're going to have to pivot and I think networking network with your classmates with your professors and build those people into that plan you know hey I want to go into this I know this person that's already in this so I can kind of build those bridges to where I

SPEAKER_00: 17:43

want to

SPEAKER_04: 17:44

go love

SPEAKER_00: 17:44

that I love that build that network now well thank you for being such a leader in the program I know you're a leader on the field and I see you all over the news so I know I know that you're doing incredibly well but seeing you in the program and seeing you know other students a lot of the guys but a lot of other people in the class you know just look up to you and see all the things you're doing and you're thinking you're taking life like you seem like you have just a very happy approach to life a very like upbeat personality controlling You know, that's

SPEAKER_04: 18:16

my motto, really.

SPEAKER_00: 18:17

But it's a phenomenal, I mean, it's phenomenal leadership style. It's a phenomenal way to get the most out of it that you're not just, you know, you want to be the best at football, but you're not just thinking about football. You're able to think about, you know, all these different pieces. So, yeah, just thank you. And we're excited to have this opportunity to talk to you.

SPEAKER_04: 18:35

Yeah, thank you for having me.