Clint Tenney didn’t fully understand the power of a student-athlete background until he found himself hiring them again and again.
And watching them consistently thrive.
It started at Brigham Young University, where Clint was a junior spending time in the weight room when a strength and conditioning coach asked him to help incoming athletes learn Olympic lifts.
What he noticed immediately was their discipline. “The schedules those athletes followed were so intense,” he recalls. “It was a completely different experience than mine as a typical student.”
Years later, when his daughter played Division I rugby at BYU — one of the top teams in the nation — he got a deeper appreciation. “They practiced just as much as the football team. I saw the daily grind up close. It gave both of us a real respect for how hard student-athletes push themselves.”
That mindset, he’s found, translates incredibly well to the workplace.
Why Athletes Succeed at Work
Clint is the Chief Revenue Officer, Co-Founder, and Board Member at Patient Voice, where he’s helping transform healthcare through AI-powered solutions. With a background spanning media, SaaS, and AI sales, Clint brings deep experience in scaling revenue and building high-performance teams.
He has hired former athletes into a variety of roles, from administrative coordination to business development and sales. In every case, he says, they’ve brought something extra.
“One of my favorite things about athletes is that they don’t just take coaching…they actually crave it.” he says. “In sales, for example, if I coach someone on a call, they don’t take it personally. They say, ‘Got it, I’ll try that,’ and then they actually do it. The great ones even add their own spin to it. It becomes a creative process.”
That thick skin and responsiveness to feedback is rare, he notes, especially as workplace culture evolves. “Some newer professionals can get their feelings hurt easily. With athletes, I can be a little more direct. They’re almost wired to improve.”
Clint also praises the structured approach student-athletes take to their days. “I had one rep who used to run track. She didn’t love cold calling, but she scheduled it like a workout: Knock it out, then move on. She was incredibly disciplined and organized.”
Self-Driven, Team-Oriented, and Built for Growth
Beyond their resilience and structure, Clint believes athletes are natural culture-builders. “Most of the ones I’ve hired, especially those from team sports, know how to elevate others. They celebrate the success of others and want everyone to win. That really gets you fired up as a leader.”
Even when they’re early in their careers, he sees signs of leadership.
“I had a rep who interned with us while she was still on the rowing team at Kansas. She brought so much energy and competitiveness to the team. Athletes tend to be outspoken and supportive. That’s powerful in a sales org.”
When it comes to hiring, Clint doesn’t necessarily seek out student-athletes on purpose — but they tend to rise to the top. “It’s happened enough times now that when I see athletic experience on a resume, I pay closer attention. I know what that means.”
Advice for Young Athletes Entering the Workforce
So what should young student-athletes know as they begin the transition into post-college careers?
Clint’s advice: Don’t bury your athletic background. Lead with it.
“My daughter starts every interview talking about her experience in D1 rugby. And that sticks. People remember it.”
He also emphasizes the importance of boldness. One standout intern, he recalls, was a rugby player from San Diego State who wanted a shot in finance. “He showed up at our office. He waited in the lobby and asked to meet our CFO. That left an impression. He ended up getting the internship, even though there were a ton of people interested.”
For athletes unsure of what’s next, Clint encourages taking a chance, whether through internships, networking, or just showing up.
“The main thing is to keep learning, stay coachable, and do the hard stuff. Athletes are used to that. That’s why they succeed.”