Field Scholars

Derry and Griffin deliver on the gridiron and in the classroom

By Jennifer Lloyd

Longhorn Linebacker Tackles Rigorous MPA Program

Is it possible to enjoy crunching numbers as much as crunching running backs?

University of Texas student Scott Derry is in the rare position of savoring both activities. Derry stretches his time between the Longhorn team and his fifth year in the McCombs Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) program. Derry is specializing in the program’s tax track.

Though the two activities may seem to require different skills, Derry sees areas where his interests overlap. Both require time and effort to prepare adequately.

In football, obviously a lot of time goes into working out and other preparation off the field,” says the linebacker. “But when it comes down to it, you’ve got to produce.”

Similarly, the Pearland native says tax accounting demands preliminary research of tax laws and practices.

But he adds, “When you’ve got to file a return or you’ve got to speak with a client, you’ve got to produce and you have to be on top of your game.”

Though Derry may be concerned with being at the top of his game, a former teacher remembers Derry being at the top of his class. Accounting lecturer Gretchen Charrier taught Derry’s “Financial Accounting Concepts and Research” class. She recalled that Derry received the highest score out of 100 students for an exam at the height of football season. Derry also was a seven-time member of the UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll.

“He made a big effort in the class,” Charrier says.

Stephen Limberg, accounting professor and director of the MPA program, echoes that praise. During the fall semester, Derry enrolled in Limberg’s course called “Taxation of Entities II.” Limberg says the class is “no cream puff,” but that Derry is “a great participant with outstanding comments.”

Limberg says Derry’s acceptance to the concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degree program was not based on any bonus points awarded for his on-the-field heroics. “The admissions standards are quite high,” says Limberg. “He is in the program based strictly on his academic merit.”

Derry plans to graduate in May 2008 and pursue a career in tax consulting unless the National Football League comes calling. Derry says that after dedicating 14 years of his life to the sport, he owes himself a chance at playing in the NFL.

“I believe I should at least try to succeed at a professional level,” says Derry. “But that’s also why I’m getting a master’s in accounting. If I can’t succeed in that area, then hopefully my intelligence and my personality and my attitude toward life will help me succeed somewhere else.”

In the spring, Derry will intern with the tax side of the professional services firm Deloitte & Touche LLP in Austin. After graduating, he plans to develop tax strategies to help clients save money. To do this, he will specialize in this field and find his niche in tax laws, planning and strategies. Derry says that while many people dislike the fine print of tax law, he enjoys deciphering the intricacies he encounters.

“You know how much people hate taxes,” Derry says. “That will be a place where I can really separate myself in the business market.”

He also hopes to sack the dull image of accountants.

“Most people stereotype accountants as boring-type people,” says the player who can be fierce on the field. “I don’t picture myself in that same way.”

Griffin Means Business On and Off the Field

When Longhorn football player Dallas Griffin steps into his role as starting center, he’s ready for any opponent.

But when Griffin isn’t on the football field, he enjoys another coveted position. Griffin secured one of only two spots this year as a McCombs Scholar in the Texas MBA full-time program.

The new McCombs Scholars program allows talented students without full-time work experience to be accepted into the MBA program. Griffin certainly fits that description. He earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in six of his undergraduate semesters en route to a bachelor’s degree in business honors and finance, and he has been named a member of the UT’s Athletics Director’s Honor Roll nine times.

Griffin also gained some real-world business experience interning for NFL Hall-of-Fame legend Roger Staubach’s real estate firm, the Staubach Co., in 2005 and working for an Austin hedge fund in 2006. As an undergraduate, he got a taste of his future career in investment fund management by participating in the McCombs School’s Financial Analyst Program, where he served as an analyst for the $15 million MBA Investment Fund.

“I had the opportunity to study at a very prestigious and reputable program—great school and great timing,” says Griffin of heading into the Texas MBA program directly after his undergraduate work. “I know it is a bit unorthodox, but it seemed like a great opportunity if I could grab it.”

Now, Griffin has his hands full with juggling both the intensity of first semester MBA studies and the fervor of football season.

“It’s kind of like having two full-time jobs,” says Griffin, a native of Katy, Texas. “There are 26 hours demanded out of my 24-hour days. But somehow, it’s getting done.”

Griffin says his MBA game plan has included squeezing class work into any spare minute of the day. For instance, a three-hour flight delay to a recent out-of-state game gave him more time to study statistics.

“It’s all about the extra little time you can find,” Griffin says.

Eric Hirst, associate dean for graduate programs and accounting professor, emphasized to Griffin from the outset that being a team player in the MBA program is just as important as Saturdays on the gridiron.

“One of the goals we have with the program is to have people leave with enhanced communication and collaboration skills,” Hirst says. “Teamwork is a very important part of getting the job done in business. We were very clear with Dallas off the bat that we were not going to make any concessions in his schedule and he would need to be a full-time MBA student in addition to his responsibilities to the football team.”

Football has given him important skills, Griffin says, that should eventually translate well into the business world. “It has provided me with a lot of tools, given me a lot of discipline and made me a lot more responsible.”

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame have also taken notice of Griffin’s success. They recently named him the winner of the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, which goes to the athlete with the best combination of academic success, football performance and community leadership in the country. Griffin is the first Longhorn to be honored with the trophy, which has also been awarded to football stars Peyton Manning and Chad Pennington in past years. With this great honor comes a 24-inch, 25 pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 scholarship to put toward his graduate studies.

Though Griffin plans to hang up his cleats after the 2007 season, he believes his drive to compete will be useful for a future in investment management.

“Maybe there are a few less hits thrown in the business world…hopefully,” he adds.