Pittsburgh Steelers Sweeten the Deal for Two Important Players

Antonio Brown
Image: steelers.com

An analyst based in New York City, Ryan Hoadley has worked in the financial industry for more than a decade. In his leisure time, Ryan Hoadley supports Pittsburgh’s professional teams, including the Steelers.

The Steelers have taken steps to keep two valuable players, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

In the summer of 2016, management promised Brown it would support him as he neared the last year of his six-year contract. In February 2017, general manager Kevin Colbert announced a new five-year deal for Brown, worth over $72 million. The frequent All-Pro wide receiver thus became one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL.

Brown is one of only two players to catch 100-plus passes in four consecutive seasons. In 2016, he contributed 1,284 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, prior to the Steelers’ 2017 Super Bowl appearance.

Also having a stellar season, running back Bell was the first NFL player to average more than 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving per game. Bell also led the league in yards from scrimmage in 2016.

He could have become a free agent, but the team retained him by using an exclusive rights franchise tag, a one-year offer that binds him to the team while a new contract is prepared. If negotiations fail, Bell will earn the average of the league’s top five running backs in 2017.

Aaron Smith – an Underrated Steelers Great

Aaron Smith
Image: steelers.com

Ryan Hoadley serves as a hedge fund analyst at Newbrook Capital Advisors in New York, where he works in both the automotive and retail sectors. Outside of his work life, Ryan Hoadley is an avid sports fan and a longtime supporter of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers have a long and storied history of excellence in the NFL. Many names come to mind when you consider the all-time greats who played for the team, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Troy Polamalu, and Ben Roethlisberger.

Other players, however, have made contributions that are not as widely recognized, but no less valuable. One example is longtime Steeler Aaron Smith.

A fourth-round pick by the Steelers in 1999, Smith was a 12-year starter in Pittsburgh and was lauded by longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau as one of the best defensive ends ever to play in his 3-4 scheme. Not only an accomplished run stuffer, Smith was also hard on opposing quarterbacks, finishing in the franchise’s top 10 in career sacks.

Smith was a vital member of a Steelers defense that finished first in the league on four occasions. During Smith’s tenure, the team won six division titles and made three Super Bowl appearances, winning two.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Jake Guentzel to Three-Year Contract

Pittsburgh Penguins
Image: penguins.nhl.com

Analyst Ryan Hoadley, affiliated with Newbrook Capital Advisors, investigates investment opportunities with a medium to long-term focus. When he is not working, Ryan Hoadley follows the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.

The Penguins recently signed Jake Guentzel to a three-year contract, starting with the 2016-2017 season. Acquired on an entry-level basis, the 5’10”, 167-pound forward had been playing for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins. Guentzel quickly established himself, making six points in 11 games.

Over the course of 10 AHL playoff games, he was able to score 14 points, becoming number two during the first two rounds. In addition to this consistent play, Guentzel made an overtime goal that clinched victory in one round, and assisted another shooter in overtime in another game.

After participating in the 2013 NHL draft, Guentzel played three years with the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. In his first season, he appeared on an all-rookie team, along with future Penguin Josh Archibald. He scored 119 points in 108 Mavericks games, becoming the sixth-greatest in the university’s history, and helping the team advance to the 2014-2015 Frozen Four.

Prior to joining the Mavericks, Guentzel spent a season with Sioux City of the United States Hockey League, where he contributed 73 points in 60 games, winning recognition as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Although some observers consider him too small, Guentzel has earned a reputation as a fast and smart hockey player. One of his many strengths include generating offensive plays, and working out to build up muscle should help him go further in the NHL.

University of Michigan’s LEAD Scholarship Program

University of Michigan
Image: alumni.umich.edu

In his role as hedge fund analyst for Newbrook Capital Advisors in New York, Ryan Hoadley works in several market sectors, including chemicals, automotive, and retail. A graduate with honors from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Ryan Hoadley is an active member of the school’s alumni association.

The Association sponsors an extensive scholarship program for incoming and current students, known as LEAD: leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity. These four-year merit awards are intended to attract students from under-represented groups, and create a learning atmosphere that includes persons from diverse backgrounds. Some 125 students from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses currently have LEAD scholarships.

The scholarships total $5,000, and is renewable for four years. Eligible incoming freshmen must have a high school GPA of at least 3.5, and SAT scores of 1220 or higher, or ACT scores of 27 or greater. However, students who do not meet these criteria may still be considered. Each applicant must add to campus diversity by virtue of gender, race, or ethnicity.

LEAD students also qualify for peer mentoring upon enrollment. Upper-class students volunteer their time to provide academic guidance and social support. Many LEAD mentees go on to become mentors themselves.

University of Michigan Football Traditions

University of Michigan Football
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Financial professional Ryan Hoadley is an analyst with a hedge fund based in New York City. A graduate of Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Ryan Hoadley follows Michigan football.

One of the most tradition-heavy colleges in the United States, the University of Michigan has a large number of rituals involving its football team. Before every football game, the marching band’s drum major tosses the mace over the goalposts in the north end zone. According to local superstition, if the drum major fails to catch the mace on the other side, the Michigan football team will lose the game. At every home game, there is a seat reserved for Fritz Crisler, the head football coach from 1938 to 1947.

Just before kickoff, the Michigan football team pelts through the tunnel at the 50-yard line and takes to the field. As they walk under the banner that reads “Go Blue: M Club Supports You,” players reach up and touch it. During these pre-kickoff festivities, the marching band performs “The Victors,” the school’s fight song.

The University of Michigan’s Achievements in Football

University of Michigan Football
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Ryan Hoadley is a financial expert who analyzes investment opportunities for his clients. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Ryan Hoadley follows the Wolverines football team.

Capping the 2015 season with a 41-7 win over Florida in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, the Wolverines ended the year with a 10-3 record; it was their 27th double-digit win season. They ranked 12th in the year-end polls for the first time since 2011.

Strong offensive and defensive play earned the Maize and Blue several national rankings. Michigan’s offense won top-25 placement in red-zone efficiency and kickoff returns. Defensively, they placed in the top 10 in categories such as total defense, pass defense, stopping third down conversions, and scoring defense.

Season highlights included a three-game shutout streak, in which they beat Brigham Young, Northwestern, and Maryland. The Wolverines were the first team since Kansas State in 1995 to hold three Football Bowl Subdivision teams in a row to zero points.

Another highlight occurred against Minnesota, when Michigan blocked a last-second attempt by the Golden Gophers to run a winning touchdown instead of a game-tying field goal. The Wolverine’s defense held firm and rejected the quarterback sneak.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Immaculate Reception” Against Rival Oakland

Immaculate Reception
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Ryan Hoadley is an accomplished financial executive and hedge fund manager with Newbrook Capital Advisors in New York. In his free time, Ryan Hoadley supports a number of Pittsburgh sports teams, especially the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were an elite team in the 1970s and are well remembered for one of the greatest plays in NFL history, known as the “Immaculate Reception.” The setting was the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Three Rivers Stadium, with the Steelers down 7-6 and 1:17 remaining against the rival Oakland Raiders. With Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler having just run 30 yards for a touchdown, the Steelers were on offense again, but with their backs against the wall.

The clock had run down to 22 seconds and Pittsburgh faced fourth and 10 on its own 40 yard line. With quarterback Terry Bradshaw under pressure, he threw the ball in the direction of Frenchy Fuqua, who collided with Raiders safety Jack Tatum as the ball arrived. Franco Harris somehow caught the ricocheting football and ran it a full 60 yards to the end zone.

The celebration in Pittsburgh that ensued, as the home team progressed to the Super Bowl, was always tinged with controversy. Some believed that the ball touched the turf before Harris caught it, while others claimed it bounced off of Fuqua, which would have ended the play under 1970s rules. Whatever the case, the ruling on the field stood, and to this day, Fuqua and Harris talk on the phone every year on the anniversary of the historic play.

University of Michigan Sponsors Big House 5K

Big House 5k
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Since 2008, Ryan Hoadley has worked as an analyst for a New York-based hedge fund. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Ryan Hoadley continues to follows the university’s athletic programs.

Intercollegiate competition began at the University of Michigan in 1865 when the school introduced baseball, and in 1973, the school introduced women’s varsity sports. Since the inception of sports, the athletic teams have garnered more than 50 national championships in 12 sports. No other NCAA Division I program has more national titles in men’s swimming and diving or hockey than the University of Michigan.

One of the ways the University of Michigan athletics program raises money is through its Big House 5K. In 2015, the event occurred on April 12 and raised $100,000 for six local nonprofit beneficiaries. Only in its second year, the 2015 race brought together almost 5,500 racers, up from 4,300 racers the previous year. Racers began on State Street outside the Al Glick Field House, meandered through the campus and the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus, and finished at the 50-yard line at Michigan Stadium.

The Pittsburgh Steelers Participate in Project Bundle-Up

Pittsburgh Steelers
Image: steelers.com

A financial analyst with more than a decade of experience, Ryan Hoadley has worked at a successful New York-based hedge fund since 2008. Outside of work, Ryan Hoadley enjoys running, skiing, and following the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In an effort to give back to the local community, the Pittsburgh Steelers take part in a variety of charitable programs throughout the year. Recently, the team’s charitable activities included a shopping trip to a local Dick’s Sporting Goods as part of Project Bundle-Up, a program launched 30 years ago by Patricia Rooney, the wife of Steelers’ chairman Dan Rooney.

Operated in partnership with The Salvation Army and WTAE-TV, Project Bundle-Up provides winter clothing to children and seniors in need across western Pennsylvania. Receiver Sam Coates, safety Mike Mitchell, and a number of other Steelers players participated in the 2015 Project Bundle-Up shopping event. The team members helped local children from the Salvation Army on the North Side pick out warm coats, boots, gloves, and hats in preparation for the upcoming winter weather.

In addition to participating in shopping events, the Steelers host a mini-golf tournament each spring to support the Project Bundle-Up program.

Michigan’s Coach and Quarterback Connected by Shared Experience

An experienced financial analyst, Ryan Hoadley has spent more than five years analyzing companies and equities for a hedge fund based in New York. Ryan Hoadley received his BBA from the University of Michigan, and he continues to support the university’s sports teams, including the Michigan Wolverines football program.

In a recent article, Michigan’s starting quarterback, Jake Rudock, explained the value of having a coach who has been in the same position. Both Rudock and head coach Jim Harbaugh have held starting quarterback positions at Michigan, where they encountered slow starts despite high expectations. While Rudock has secured better stats in three games than Harbaugh did in 1984, player and coach agree that Rudock and his teammates need to improve their timing to achieve more completions and fewer interceptions.

Rudock notes that Coach Harbaugh’s expertise and support have been instrumental in helping him cope with the role. According to Rudock, Harbaugh provides especially strong support on game day and knows how to help Rudock move forward after disappointments. Rudock also explains that instead of perfection, Coach Harbaugh emphasizes the importance of improvement and understands that it takes time.