Sports Illustrated senior writer Austin Murphy '83 covered the National Football League for six years and is in his 15th year of covering college football.

In the most recent episode of Colgate Conversations, the podcast series highlighting members of the campus community, Murphy had this to say:

-- The NFL is run by pinched, unsmiling bureaucrats who have sucked the joy from the game and have built Plasticine stadiums that are merely life support systems for luxury boxes.

-- Division I college football is played in secular cathedrals steeped in quirky traditions that evoke unflagging passion from fans and create fun atmospheres that can't be beat.

The life of an acclaimed sports journalist is filled with many interesting opportunities and experiences, but it would be a mistake to think that these can be achieved without hard work and persistence.