Chris Orlando is quick to tell you he loves his job.
He’s a data analyst for the NFL, working directly with 12 of the league's teams to turn vast amounts of data—from ticketing trends to merchandise—into actionable insights.
It’s a natural fit for a Fordham marketing major who minored in computer science—and a dream job for Orlando.
“I love waking up every day knowing I get to be around football,” says the New Jersey native and New York Giants fan. “It’s really cool showing up to work when you don’t feel like you’re working. That’s why I wanted to go into sports in the first place.”
Build Technical Skills Around Your Passion
Orlando’s journey to the NFL began simply by following his interests. In high school, they could be summed up in two words: football and stats.
“I was a bit of a mathematics nerd,” Orlando says. Anytime he needed to work with statistics for a project, he’d turn to his favorite sport.
“I used football data. Every year I’d learn a new skill—spreadsheets eventually became code, and that eventually became data modeling.”
Get Hands-On Experience Outside the Classroom
When Orlando got to Fordham, he deepened those skills through his coursework—and wasted no time putting them to use for Fordham football.
He joined the Fordham Sports Analytics Society, a student club that brings guest speakers to campus, publishes research, and works closely with several of Fordham’s varsity sports teams.
Orlando watched Fordham football game film, compiled data on the team’s performance, and produced actionable reports for the coaching staff.
Connect with Sports Industry Pros
Through the Sports Analytics Society, he also spoke with figures like ESPN analyst Jeff Passan, former Brooklyn Nets Assistant GM Bobby Marks, and Mike Lopez, senior director of football data and analytics for the NFL.
“It was really cool to be able to interview those kinds of people,” he says. “We would ask them a bunch of questions about their career and what they were working through.”
Orlando works out of the NFL office in Manhattan.
Pursue an Internship
Orlando met frequently with his career advisor for support on everything from resume building to interview prep. He eventually landed an internship with the New York Giants.
“I was going on the field every game and meeting with premium ticketing clients, corporate partners, and former Giants legends,” Orlando says. “It was as cool of an internship as I could have in college.”
It’s All About Making—and Maintaining—Connections
Orlando’s Fordham experiences helped him earn a marketing position at Madison Square Garden before landing his current role with the NFL.
He says the networking relationships he cultivated have been a key factor in launching his career.
“It’s the biggest reason why I picked Fordham,” he says. “It’s important for students to get in front of professionals early on.”
Now, Orlando is one of those professionals. He recently joined a Fordham Marketing Association panel to talk about his career path with current students.
“What stood out most was how passionate he was about the impact of analytics within sports marketing,” Fordham student Will Lokier wrote on LinkedIn. “Hearing about his real-world work made the field feel more dynamic and accessible, and it gave me a clearer picture of the kinds of roles that exist behind major sports organizations.”