[284] NFL player, MTSU grad headlines student leadership summit Feb. 7

MURFREESBORO — MTSU students will learn how to fill America’s leadership void at a university-sponsored summit.

The Blue Raider Leadership Summit, with the theme “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!,” is slated for 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in the Student Union ballroom.

This educational opportunity will help students grasp the principles and techniques of effective leadership and network with other students.

The registration fee is $15, which includes all meals and conference materials. To apply, go to www.mtsu.edu/sos.

“It will be very interactive for everyone involved,” said Jackie Victory, director of student organizations and service. “Students attending (the summit) will have a mix of educational sessions and group activities.”

This year, students will be able to select specific educational tracks for women or emerging leaders.

The keynote speaker will be San Francisco 49ers running back and MTSU alumnus Phillip Tanner.

Following his collegiate football career at MTSU, Tanner signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011 before eventually landing with the 49ers. His pro career also has included brief stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills.

In an Aug. 21 game against the San Diego Chargers, Tanner lost his helmet on a play in which he scored a touchdown. As a result, the National Football League enacted a new safety rule stating that the play will be declared dead at the point at which a ball carrier’s helmet comes off and hits the field.

At the leadership summit, Tanner “will speak with our students about staying motivated when life gives you curve balls,” Victory said.

The Blue Raider Leadership Summit is sponsored by the Office of Leadership & Service and co-sponsored by the Intercultural and Diversity Affairs Center, the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students and Fraternity and Sorority Life.

For more information, call the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership at 615-898-5812, or email Victory at jackie.victory@mtsu.edu.