Roger Goodell is an American businessman who has been serving as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since September 2006. He secured an internship with the league in 1982 through a letter-writing campaign. From there, he worked as an assistant in the public relations department before serving in various high-level positions under then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who appointed him the NFL's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2001. As the commissioner, he was instrumental in implementing a new NFL Personal Conduct Policy that resulted some of the harshest penalties in NFL history in the spygate scandal involving the New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, and the deflategate scandal involving New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He brokered a settlement with the former NFL players over head injuries. He is often described as “the most powerful man in sports” by commentators.
