Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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He wouldn't take no for an answer." Kelly said he knows Mosley well from his connections at Culver, where Kelly sends his kids for camp. They also spent time together while Notre Dame planned its 2010 trip to play Army in Yankee Stadium, the new building's first college football game. To convince Kelly to come back again, Mosley called on some tactics from another Culver connection: longtime mentor George Steinbrenner. The late and legendary Yankees owner is one of Culver's most famous alumni. He sat on the board of trustees during the four years Mosley spent at the school as a standout football player. The Steinbrenner kids were Mosley's classmates, and he became close with the family during high school. He continued to go to Yankee games and rub elbows with the franchise's big wigs after college. Mosley started a career in banking when he graduated, but quickly shifted back toward the sporting world. He spent time working for the Meadowlands, ABC Sports and the Los Angeles Raiders before joining a public relations firm that catered to celebrities and star athletes. In 2001, Mosley founded Pearl Public Relations, a company he still owns and operates. That path eventually led him back to his connections with the Yankees. They asked Mosley if he would use some of his football background to help them iron out logistics for future football games at the stadium, which is how he landed in Kelly's office in the days before Notre Dame's final home game of the season this November. "I told him if Mr. Steinbrenner was still alive, and he was in this office right now he would not take no for an answer," Mosley said. "He would say you are coming, there's no thinking about it. I definitely had Mr. Steinbrenner on my mind." Kelly said Mosley's persistence and Notre Dame's past experience (not to mention a healthy lineup of bowl gifts for the players) convinced him to take the team to New York. Notre Dame's trip to Yankee Stadium in Kelly's first season helped to establish a blueprint that Mosley and his co-workers still lean on to plan events. Next year, the Yankees will host three college football games — the 150th meeting between Patriot League rivals Lehigh and Lafayette, Army versus UConn and the Pinstripe Bowl, which will feature ACC and Big Ten teams starting in 2014. The key to squeezing a football game into a building designed for baseball lies in the details, Mosley said. He spent months plotting the best ways to get teams in and out of the stadium, how to unload gear from a smaller loading dock and how to keep players safe on a field that typically doesn't have anywhere near as much action. Adding band members, cheerleaders and a few dozen extra players to the turf makes security a top issue for Mosley. He has used similar plans to help organize concerts and media events in the Bronx stadium. "You have to remember you're basically putting on a big party," he said. "Everyone who you invite, they're a guest. It's extremely important to ensure they have the best possible experience." ✦