Roderick West on sports legacy
From Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Entergy Group President of Utility Operations Rod West at EEI 2023 · · EEITV
“This is the man who defined the idea of the 'shutdown corner.'”
On , Roderick West, Group President of Utility Operations at Entergy Corp, spoke about sports legacy during Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Entergy Group President of Utility Operations Rod West at EEI 2023 on EEITV.
About Roderick West
At the 2023 EEI conference in Austin, Texas, Rod West interviewed Deion Sanders, whom he described as "the man who defined the idea of the 'shutdown corner.'" West noted that he and Sanders were born 11 months apart, calling Sanders his "elder." He asked Sanders about the origins of his "Prime" persona and how the advent of NIL and the transfer portal has changed his approach to recruiting and roster building. West remarked that the business of sports has shifted, with college athletics "trying to figure out, among the haves and have‑nots, how future revenues of collegiate athletics get divided." In a 2015 TEDx talk, West recounted his experience leading Entergy's response to Hurricane Katrina, which he described as "our own version of Lord Voldemort." He recalled hearing that water was "gushing down Canal Street" and the decision to evacuate employees. West stated that Entergy's decision to return to New Orleans "sent a signal to the investment community" and that the company's leadership asked employees what they wanted to do, receiving a "resounding yes" to rebuild. He concluded that the company is "not simply in the business of powering an electric grid or a gas system" but is "together powering life."