A Super Unique Experience

Maryland football consistently breeds NFL talent. Not just in terms of its athletes, but even the many hard-working individuals who work behind the scenes in its athletic department to make it all happen.  

Amanda Hilman was one of those staff members, as she previously worked as an operations assistant for Maryland football. Hilman has since landed team operations internships with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers - each team represented in Super Bowl LVIII. 

The native of Smithtown on Long Island, got involved with Maryland athletics during her freshman year at the university in 2019. Hilman served as a video production student intern for football. It was an opportunity that was brought to her by her roommate Taylor McLaughlin, who had just started as a photography intern with Maryland Athletics. She currently works with the Baltimore Ravens as an intern.  

Hilman worked closely with Maryland football and head coach Michael Locksley, who also had recently been hired in College Park. She was able to see the program grow, and the relationships that were a byproduct of that growth allowed her to land internships with NFL teams in the future. 

“Amanda was a valuable contributor to our program during her time here,” Locksley said. “So much goes into running a college football program and everyone on our operations team works tirelessly to make sure everything goes smoothly for our student-athletes and staff. I’m thrilled that she’s had an opportunity to grow even more since graduating from Maryland by being able to work for extremely well-run franchises like the Chiefs and 49ers.”

Hilman studied marketing and business management at Maryland and searched for other department jobs in athletics that better suited her interests. She worked in various roles but found her niche in the football operations department. Hilman got her start as an intern in 2021 but was hired as a full-time operations assistant in 2023.  

Hilman was able to grow her relationship with players, coaches, and staff in her new role and enjoyed every part of it. She loved seeing everything come to fruition on game day after helping coordinate weekly team events. Hilman says the people make the job most rewarding, and the people at Maryland are her family. 

“An experience that I loved being a part of, especially with operations, was being able to onboard the new guys who were coming in,” Hilman said. "Just preparing everything for them, whether it was the parent welcome lunch or just going bowling with them all as a bonding moment.”

Matt Konapelsky, who currently works as a special assistant to Locksley, formed a close relationship with Hilman when he was the coordinator of football operations. He helped connect her with the Chiefs organization where she was able to land an internship with them over the summer during the Chiefs' training camp in 2023. They had just come off their Super Bowl LVII win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Konapelsky had previously done the same internship in 2019. He says Hilman is one of three people who have been hired in NFL operations since his time at Maryland. 

“I really think she's special. I think she's capable of a lot and however I could help her career I wanted to,” Konapelsky said. “Maryland's a great place, but sometimes it's good to branch out and see what you're capable of. She always had a home here but it was more so I wanted her to push herself and kind of get out of her comfort zone and see what the NFL was like.”

Hilman worked in her role for two months and says it was a unique experience. The Chiefs held their training camp at Missouri Western State University for the 13th straight summer. Missouri Western State is a division II school; therefore, it has a smaller campus in comparison to other major division I schools. Hilman says that made it fun as many people were in the same building every day, allowing her to cultivate many relationships. 

Hilman returned to College Park briefly but accepted another operations internship with the 49ers. She started right after their bye week and has been working in that role ever since. Konapelsky says Hilman’s lasting impression with the Chiefs allowed her to land the in-season job.

“She left such a good impression that when something opened up with the 49ers midseason, they hired her on,” Konapelsky said. “I think that's a testament to who she is and kind of what she's capable of doing.”

Hilman’s Maryland background came full circle in San Francisco when she reunited with Sam Okuayinonu, a defensive lineman for the Terps who overlapped with Hilman from 2019-21. Okuayinonu signed with the 49ers practice squad in early January and the two immediately recognized each other.    

“I got chills from that. When I saw he walked into our building, and he was signing with us here I'm like, no way like this is awesome,” Hilman said. “When we saw each other on the field after winning the NFC Championship, we both were like, oh my god, this is awesome, we get to be a part of this.” 

Hilman and Okuayinonu will have the opportunity to become Super Bowl champions with the 49ers on Feb. 11. Hilman would like to avoid the bittersweet ending of the Chiefs, her previous employer, winning the big game, but she says she’s grateful to even be in Las Vegas for one of the biggest annual sporting events. Being a part of each conference team represented makes it that much more special. 

Still, the experience that will ultimately lead to everything coming to fruition for Hilman has a special place in her heart. 

“Around football especially, the program's just growing,” Hilman said, referring to her time at Maryland. “From the little things, I got there the same year coach Locksley got there, and it's felt like such a great culture and vibe. I saw it get built, and I just felt so important to be a Terp.”