Princeton University Athletics

Damani Leech '98 - Chasing Greatness In All Fields

May 20, 2026 | Football

By

Damani Leech really wanted to be a wide receiver at Stanford when he was in high school.

"I used to joke that I was recruiting Stanford, but Stanford wasn't recruiting me," the Tacoma, Washington native said.

The college recruiting process started with a phone call from Don Dobes, then Princeton's linebacker coach with the Pacific Northwest recruiting territory.

"His overall athletic ability was elite," said Dobes about recruiting him. "His ability to change directions, his fluid hips, and his burst jumped out. His ball skills and movement in football and basketball were incredible."

Damani's parents, Charles and Eliza, left little doubt where they would prefer their son to go.

"They said if Princeton was interested and offering, you're going," said Leech.

Leech was down to Princeton and Yale, but after taking a visit to New Jersey and having a great experience, the choice was clear.

"We recruited him as a two-way athlete," said Dobes about Leech. "We then convinced him that he could be a difference maker on for us on defense and the rest is history!"

Leech made the switch to the defensive back field and did not have to wait long to make an impact, earning First Team All-Ivy honors as a sophomore for the 1995 Ivy Champions. That season, Leech recorded 33 tackles, eight interceptions and eight more pass break ups as a last play field goal against Dartmouth secured an outright Ivy crown.

"It was a great year, said the First-Team All-Ivy selection. "I think we were great primarily because of our senior leadership. We had guys like Jimmy Archie, Hans Schroeder, Daryl Oliver and Ryan Moore who created this culture. Dave Patterson (1995 Ivy Defensive Player of the Year), from the start of camp, was really disciplined with film and you couldn't help by adopt their style."

"What set him apart was the combination of drive and confidence," said Tom Ludwig '98, who was second-team All-Ivy in 1997. "Not loud drive, not performative confidence, but the opposite. When the rest of us were lifting and running in the summer, Damani was finding reps against future NFL receivers. He knew what great looked like, and he quietly chased it."

As junior, Leech collected 40 tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups, earning his second first-team All-Ivy laurel. He finished his Princeton career with 38 stops, six picks and 13 pass breakups in 1997, picking up his third First-Team nomination. He went out with style, picking off three passes in the season finale at Dartmouth. Leech finished with 20 career interceptions, second most in program history.

The three-time First-Team All-Ivy honoree knew despite his fantastic career with the Tigers, that professional football was not in the cards.

"I used to go home in the summers and work out with guys on the University of Washington in 7-on-7 drills," said Leech. "It became pretty clear to me early that those guys were playing on Sundays and I was not. My focus shifted very quickly to what my postgraduate experience was going to be."

Thinking about life after Princeton began as an undergraduate. Leech did a few summer internships in finance and did not enjoy it. He wanted to work in sports but wasn't sure in what field. Former Princeton Athletic Director

Leech did.

"They opened up my eyes to what a career in sports business would look like," said Leech. Whether it was marketing, ticketing, sales or facility management, I didn't understand what those things were. The alumni all had the same advice early on and said get as much experience as you can while you're on campus."

So that's what Leech did. He worked in the Athletic Communications office under

"You could tell from Day 1 that he was someone special who was going to do great things with whatever direction he chose in life," said Price, senior writer and department historian for Princeton Athletics. "I've been really thrilled to follow his career and see that he's done just that. Plus, he was a great football player here. He's someone you want to have represented your team and your University, and he still is all of that."

The day after graduating, Leech flew down to Pontavidra, Florida for an internship with the PGA Tour before eventually ending up as an intern with the NCAA.

The former Tiger grew into the role of Director of Membership Services before eventually taking over as Director of Baseball and Football in 2004 and then as the Managing Director of Championships and Alliances in 2013.

During his time with the NCAA, he oversaw the College World Series which went through transition as the tournament went from Rosenblatt Stadium to the Charles Schwab Field.

"Rosenblatt Stadium was a quaint stadium with a lot of history, but it was an older stadium," said Leech. "It had one elevator, no premium seating and we understood where the industry was going. We wanted to provide a better experience for our fans and players so being part of a new stadium design was very exciting. I still get the fear of missing out every June is it comes, I think it's one of the better sporting events in the country."

Working with football at the NCAA office, Leech oversaw the rules process with the different rule committees and help certify bowl games as conferences negotiated with each bowl. The former Tiger also had the FCS playoffs under his purview as well.

Every year, the entire NFL ethos meets in Indianapolis for its scouting combine. The NFL and NCAA would often gather for discussions of a variety of topics and eventually Troy Vincent, Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL, offered Leech a job.

"At the time, my goal was to be an athletic director or commissioner of a conference," said Leech. "That's what I was focused on and then this really opened my eyes to an opportunity to continue to work in football, the sport I love, and do it for an organization that is the pinnacle of sports globally."

The three-time First-Team All-Ivy honoree quickly rose up the ranks and was named Chief Operating Officer for NFL International. He helped grow the league international base and led a staff of more than 40 people all across the world. He was also heavily involved in growing the league's international games.

"I gained an appreciation for different cultures, globally, and that's both from a social standpoint, but also from a business standpoint," said Leech about his time with NFL International. "I had to calibrate my approach in my style based on whichever country we were doing business in."

After almost seven years in the front office of the NFL, the Denver Broncos hired the former Tiger as President in August of 2022.

"It wasn't something I was actively looking for, but it was certainly something I realized as somebody who had roughly 25 years of headquarters experience that, you have the benefit of not losing on Saturdays and Sundays, but you also don't win," said the 1995 Ivy League champion. "As somebody who's pretty competitive, that was always something that I was interested in doing, should the opportunity present itself.

Some of Leech's main responsibilities are business development, fan engagement and innovation as an organization, but he has oversight on many areas that include revenue generation, finance, facilities, communications, marketing, community development, etc.

How does he stay on top of everything?

"Caffeine and having a great staff," said Leech. "We have a great team here, especially the people that work with me on the business side. For me as a leader, I'm trying to give them the resources to be successful, hold them accountable for it, but also help them identify what the vision and strategy should be, and then give them the space to go out and do great work."

Despite a hectic schedule, Leech's Princeton background helps in his everyday life with the Broncos.

"People use the metaphor about the size of the fish in the pond and you're surrounded by some pretty big fish (at Princeton)," said Leech. There's a lot of talented people there and as you progress in your career, I use that as a sort of a motivating factor. It allows you to not get too humble or too complacent."

His old Princeton teammates like to keep him grounded as well.

During his freshmen/sophomore year against Harvard, Leech bit on a flea flicker that led to a touchdown. The next day in film review, defensive coordinator

"Coach, I heard the roar of the crowd, so I came up and tried to make a play," said Leech.

He still hears about that to this day.

"There will be a random highlight in college football or the NFL of a flea flicker, and the group chat will clip it and say he must of heard the roar of the crowd," said Leech.

Despite some teasing from his old teammates, the Princeton community remains proud of what Leech has accomplished in his time with the Tigers.

"What Damani has done post-graduation is equally impressive, if not more than his great football career at Princeton," said

Warren CroxtonDamani Leech really wanted to be a wide receiver at Stanford when he was in high school.

"I used to joke that I was recruiting Stanford, but Stanford wasn't recruiting me," the Tacoma, Washington native said.

The college recruiting process started with a phone call from Don Dobes, then Princeton's linebacker coach with the Pacific Northwest recruiting territory.

"His overall athletic ability was elite," said Dobes about recruiting him. "His ability to change directions, his fluid hips, and his burst jumped out. His ball skills and movement in football and basketball were incredible."

Damani's parents, Charles and Eliza, left little doubt where they would prefer their son to go.

"They said if Princeton was interested and offering, you're going," said Leech.

Leech was down to Princeton and Yale, but after taking a visit to New Jersey and having a great experience, the choice was clear.

"We recruited him as a two-way athlete," said Dobes about Leech. "We then convinced him that he could be a difference maker on for us on defense and the rest is history!"

Leech made the switch to the defensive back field and did not have to wait long to make an impact, earning First Team All-Ivy honors as a sophomore for the 1995 Ivy Champions. That season, Leech recorded 33 tackles, eight interceptions and eight more pass break ups as a last play field goal against Dartmouth secured an outright Ivy crown.

"It was a great year, said the First-Team All-Ivy selection. "I think we were great primarily because of our senior leadership. We had guys like Jimmy Archie, Hans Schroeder, Daryl Oliver and Ryan Moore who created this culture. Dave Patterson (1995 Ivy Defensive Player of the Year), from the start of camp, was really disciplined with film and you couldn't help by adopt their style."

"What set him apart was the combination of drive and confidence," said Tom Ludwig '98, who was second-team All-Ivy in 1997. "Not loud drive, not performative confidence, but the opposite. When the rest of us were lifting and running in the summer, Damani was finding reps against future NFL receivers. He knew what great looked like, and he quietly chased it."

As junior, Leech collected 40 tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups, earning his second first-team All-Ivy laurel. He finished his Princeton career with 38 stops, six picks and 13 pass breakups in 1997, picking up his third First-Team nomination. He went out with style, picking off three passes in the season finale at Dartmouth. Leech finished with 20 career interceptions, second most in program history.

The three-time First-Team All-Ivy honoree knew despite his fantastic career with the Tigers, that professional football was not in the cards.

"I used to go home in the summers and work out with guys on the University of Washington in 7-on-7 drills," said Leech. "It became pretty clear to me early that those guys were playing on Sundays and I was not. My focus shifted very quickly to what my postgraduate experience was going to be."

Thinking about life after Princeton began as an undergraduate. Leech did a few summer internships in finance and did not enjoy it. He wanted to work in sports but wasn't sure in what field. Former Princeton Athletic Director

Gary Walters'67 gave him business cards to alums and said give them a call and they will give you 30 minutes if you're not asking for money or a job.Leech did.

"They opened up my eyes to what a career in sports business would look like," said Leech. Whether it was marketing, ticketing, sales or facility management, I didn't understand what those things were. The alumni all had the same advice early on and said get as much experience as you can while you're on campus."

So that's what Leech did. He worked in the Athletic Communications office under

Jerry Pricebefore working with Jeff Orleans in the Ivy League office."You could tell from Day 1 that he was someone special who was going to do great things with whatever direction he chose in life," said Price, senior writer and department historian for Princeton Athletics. "I've been really thrilled to follow his career and see that he's done just that. Plus, he was a great football player here. He's someone you want to have represented your team and your University, and he still is all of that."

The day after graduating, Leech flew down to Pontavidra, Florida for an internship with the PGA Tour before eventually ending up as an intern with the NCAA.

The former Tiger grew into the role of Director of Membership Services before eventually taking over as Director of Baseball and Football in 2004 and then as the Managing Director of Championships and Alliances in 2013.

During his time with the NCAA, he oversaw the College World Series which went through transition as the tournament went from Rosenblatt Stadium to the Charles Schwab Field.

"Rosenblatt Stadium was a quaint stadium with a lot of history, but it was an older stadium," said Leech. "It had one elevator, no premium seating and we understood where the industry was going. We wanted to provide a better experience for our fans and players so being part of a new stadium design was very exciting. I still get the fear of missing out every June is it comes, I think it's one of the better sporting events in the country."

Working with football at the NCAA office, Leech oversaw the rules process with the different rule committees and help certify bowl games as conferences negotiated with each bowl. The former Tiger also had the FCS playoffs under his purview as well.

Every year, the entire NFL ethos meets in Indianapolis for its scouting combine. The NFL and NCAA would often gather for discussions of a variety of topics and eventually Troy Vincent, Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL, offered Leech a job.

"At the time, my goal was to be an athletic director or commissioner of a conference," said Leech. "That's what I was focused on and then this really opened my eyes to an opportunity to continue to work in football, the sport I love, and do it for an organization that is the pinnacle of sports globally."

The three-time First-Team All-Ivy honoree quickly rose up the ranks and was named Chief Operating Officer for NFL International. He helped grow the league international base and led a staff of more than 40 people all across the world. He was also heavily involved in growing the league's international games.

"I gained an appreciation for different cultures, globally, and that's both from a social standpoint, but also from a business standpoint," said Leech about his time with NFL International. "I had to calibrate my approach in my style based on whichever country we were doing business in."

After almost seven years in the front office of the NFL, the Denver Broncos hired the former Tiger as President in August of 2022.

"It wasn't something I was actively looking for, but it was certainly something I realized as somebody who had roughly 25 years of headquarters experience that, you have the benefit of not losing on Saturdays and Sundays, but you also don't win," said the 1995 Ivy League champion. "As somebody who's pretty competitive, that was always something that I was interested in doing, should the opportunity present itself.

Some of Leech's main responsibilities are business development, fan engagement and innovation as an organization, but he has oversight on many areas that include revenue generation, finance, facilities, communications, marketing, community development, etc.

How does he stay on top of everything?

"Caffeine and having a great staff," said Leech. "We have a great team here, especially the people that work with me on the business side. For me as a leader, I'm trying to give them the resources to be successful, hold them accountable for it, but also help them identify what the vision and strategy should be, and then give them the space to go out and do great work."

Despite a hectic schedule, Leech's Princeton background helps in his everyday life with the Broncos.

"People use the metaphor about the size of the fish in the pond and you're surrounded by some pretty big fish (at Princeton)," said Leech. There's a lot of talented people there and as you progress in your career, I use that as a sort of a motivating factor. It allows you to not get too humble or too complacent."

His old Princeton teammates like to keep him grounded as well.

During his freshmen/sophomore year against Harvard, Leech bit on a flea flicker that led to a touchdown. The next day in film review, defensive coordinator

Steve Verbitasked the young defensive back what was thinking?"Coach, I heard the roar of the crowd, so I came up and tried to make a play," said Leech.

He still hears about that to this day.

"There will be a random highlight in college football or the NFL of a flea flicker, and the group chat will clip it and say he must of heard the roar of the crowd," said Leech.

Despite some teasing from his old teammates, the Princeton community remains proud of what Leech has accomplished in his time with the Tigers.

"What Damani has done post-graduation is equally impressive, if not more than his great football career at Princeton," said

Bob Surace, head coach of Princeton Football. "In his work with NCAA baseball, he helped transform the College World Series to the event it is today. He then led the NFL into its international success. As President of the Denver Broncos, he has overseen the remarkable turnaround of their organization. He has set an incredible example for all future Tigers interested in sports administration."Reflections from the Princeton Athletics Class of 2026

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