Junior business major wants to be a leader who puts others first.

By Tosha Jupiter

It takes half a second in a room with Elroy Masters, Jr., to understand he’s got an inner light and a smile that might thaw ice. He commands the room with a charismatic ease that makes it hard to believe his collar bone is broken during our interview. He was sitting out a road game to heal, so he had time to chat about life on, and off, the field.

Masters is No. 88 on the field – a wide receiver for the Colorado State University Rams. In life, he’s a giver. But let’s go back a few years first.

He’s always been an athlete. Basketball was his first love – his passion, his heart – and he played as a little boy in Peoria, Ariz., and into high school. He broke his ankle senior year, though, so his hopes to play college hoops were sidelined. He found success on the football field and was recruited by 13-plus colleges for full ride scholarships. He chose CSU.

He wanted to play in a true college town. He likes running into fans at the local grocery store for a high-five and “good game” conversation. And he likes feeling humbled and accountable to the community after a loss, too. It’s like family – it’s like home in Ram country. He can see himself settling in Northern Colorado someday, maybe. He likes the weather here.

He’s a junior business major studying finance. He’s good with numbers, likes them even. His dad is a biologist and his mom is a teacher, so math and science come naturally – he maintained a 4.0 GPA through high school – and he sees the potential in earning a finance degree. He’s got an entrepreneurial spirit, he says, and wants to be a leader who makes a real impact on the lives of others. He thinks business will give him the tools and influence he needs to make that difference. Ultimately, he’s thinking he might like to combine his athletic and business skills to become an athletic director at a university.

Masters, Jr., wants to make a difference. What is it about him? Friends come to him for advice and for help with school. He’s co-VP of the student athlete advisory committee. He tries to be there for people, always. He’s a giver. And though it’s his role on the field, in life he’s working on his receiving, too.

“It applies on and off the field,” he says. “Being able to sacrifice for the people next to us and playing for the team is the most important thing. You have to step back and be unselfish.”

National recognition

Near the end of his junior year, Masters, Jr., was selected to participate in the NCAA Leadership Forum, which is a way to provide student-athletes with a nontraditional form of education that helps develop them as leaders in their communities and on their campuses. Only 200 student-athletes representing all sports in the nation were chosen for the honor. 

decorative divider
Get to know us better. Read More Stories