The Denver Broncos digital content coordinator began her storytelling journey in the NCAA communications department.
In the fall of 2022, Susanna Weir opened her inbox to find a job description that seemed like it was written just for her.
While working toward her master’s degree in communications, the Delaware cross country and track and field student-athlete was assisting the athletics department with sports communications and researching the experiences of NCAA runners.
“My favorite part of doing that research was interacting with athletes, getting to hear their stories, getting to feel like I was giving them a voice, a platform to share things,” Weir said.
She was slated to attend the NCAA’s Career in Sports Forum but unexpectedly couldn’t make it. She asked to be looped in on emails about future opportunities, where she learned of a new communications position being offered within the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program.
The primary job responsibility? Telling holistic student-athlete stories.
“That stood out to me so much because that was essentially what I was doing with my research, but this allowed me to kind of take it a step further and really talk to these athletes and share their stories,” Weir said.
Weir landed the job at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis. It was her first real gig in sports, and, though it was a dream come true to walk under the NCAA’s iconic blue disk as she arrived at work each day, she was intimidated by the NCAA’s size and reputation.
Yet when the people she worked with valued her perspective as a former student-athlete, she realized she belonged.
“Every room I was in, people would ask me what I thought. To go into an organization that’s that well established and that well respected and have everyone want to hear your voice as someone who’s new and just coming into the environment, that was really empowering,” Weir said.
Weir worked alongside the 31 other interns in her 2023-24 cohort. The full-year internship program creates a natural breeding ground for lifelong relationships.
“You have a group of 30-plus people who are all equally as passionate about the same thing, living in the same place, all trying to build their careers at the same time,” Weir said.
Today, those interns are scattered across the country. Weir sees her fellow PGIP alumni regularly. She knows these unique relationships will endure.
“It’s just that shared bond,” Weir said. “We’re all passionate about working in sports. We’re all passionate about the same thing. We all went through this amazing, transformative experience together.”
She didn’t have a 10-year plan at the outset of her internship. Instead, Weir had an appreciation for the tremendous opportunity ahead of her and a determination to take advantage of it.
She said “yes” every chance she got, assisting with championships and supporting the Sport Science Institute’s communications efforts. She also helped with the NCAA’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a transformational experience that teed up a career in professional sports.
“Having the opportunity to do Olympics coverage at the NCAA was honestly what set me up for the rest of my career journey to this point because I always knew that I loved Olympic sport and that level of competition,” Weir said. “I loved covering college sports as well, but I think covering the Olympics from the NCAA perspective made me realize how interested I was in covering athletes competing at the highest level.”
The PGIP gives each intern the opportunity to plan and execute a professional development trip. Weir chose to travel to Colorado. She visited the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs before heading to Denver, where she met with the Broncos’ lead writer.
Their conversation led Weir to a digital content internship with the Broncos, a role she accepted because of the confidence she gained at the NCAA ― and her philosophy of saying yes to new experiences.
After the conclusion of her Broncos internship, Weir covered the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games for NBC Sports before returning to the NFL in a seasonal editorial role with a hometown team, the New York Jets. In April, Weir headed west again, accepting a digital content coordinator role with the Broncos.
“Every internship I did provided me with a different skill set and provided me with new experiences, so I never felt like I was taking steps backwards or not learning something new,” Weir said.
While the confidence and relationships Weir built as a postgraduate intern molded her path through the sports industry, her North Star has stayed the same: Tell holistic athlete stories.
“I get to do what I love every day by sharing athletes’ stories.” Weir said. “I’m able to connect athletes to the fanbase and bring the fanbase to these stories.”
