In the world of sports, it is not uncommon for athletes to engage in occupations and hobbies outside of their respected sports. Even the great Michael Jordan became both an entrepreneur and actor during his greatest playing days, proving that an athlete can wear more than one hat. Jordan helped lay the groundwork for many of today’s athletes to build their platforms and businesses in their free time 

In Delaware, the Blue Coats home several athletes that have hobbies and careers that go beyond the basketball court. Jared Brownridge, a four-year Blue Coat, is one of those multitalented players.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and the NBA G League went on hiatus, Brownridge was left with a lot of extra time to focus on things beyond basketball. One of his priorities became creating his very own online podcast, J.B. & Co.

“We knew we were going to be at home for quite some time,” Brownridge said. “I wanted to pick out the best way to utilize that time and my communications degree, so [I] challenged myself and started my own podcast.”

Since beginning the podcast, Brownridge has produced two seasons and a total of seventeen full-length episodes, all published to YouTube.

“The first season is centered more around athletes and people around sports,” Brownridge said. “The second season was me trying to expand myself and reach out to different people outside of the world of sports. I wanted to make sure I touched a little bit of everything.”

While overseeing the podcast is a passion of Brownridge’s, it took some time before he could focus on anything outside of basketball.

“When I was a rookie, I wanted to find that balance,” Brownridge said. “When you’re young, you want to get better and show that you really care about the game while making a statement.”

Despite facing the challenges of being a young player within a professional organization, Brownridge has learned how to manage his time in order to produce on and off the court.

“As you get older, you create that statement and people know how hard you work,” Brownridge said. “I think that’s when you can start balancing your skills and take it where you would like it.”

Throughout the NBA G League, there are gritty players like Jared Brownridge who are living out their dream to play professional basketball. However, Brownridge is a prime example of how one athlete can take advantage of his opportunities both on and off the court.

Check out Brownridge’s podcast on YouTube here.

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