In the modern National Football League landscape, the game effectively begins three hours before kickoff. It starts in the concrete "tunnels" of stadiums across the country, where the walk from a luxury SUV to the locker room has become the world's most valuable runway. Kyle Smith is a key player in this cultural shift: his role didn't exist two years ago, but now defines the league’s "helmet-off" marketing era.

As the NFL’s first-ever Fashion Editor, Smith is the bridge between the grit of the gridiron and the glamour of the Met Gala. His appointment in September 2024 marked a watershed moment for a league that has historically prioritized the shield over the individual. For Smith, fashion is the ultimate tool for humanization, particularly for Black athletes whose identities are often obscured by the very equipment that protects them.

Smith’s journey to the league offices didn't begin on a football field; it started in a library. Growing up in a family of high-achieving professionals—including his father, a professor—Smith initially feared a career in fashion might be seen as "embarrassing" to a lineage of doctors and lawyers. However, a shared moment with his father over a Burberry Prorsum ad in Teen Vogue changed his perspective.

"I was like, oh, my dad likes this. I like this. Maybe if I got into fashion, I wouldn't be embarrassing to my family," Smith recalls.

He took that curiosity to his studies in Art History, where he learned to view a garment as more than just fabric. To Smith, an outfit is a historical document. "Art history 101 is just memorization," Smith explains. "But the higher-level classes are more like—one day you talk about religion, then politics, then agriculture... and finally you realize all these combined is how we got to this tiny, blue statue. That’s how I see fashion."

His senior thesis even analyzed the 2010 Arab Spring through the lens of fashion trends, proving that style is a byproduct of global shifts. This analytical foundation eventually helped him convince NFL stakeholders that the "tunnel fit" was more than vanity—it was a data-driven media powerhouse.

Before landing his groundbreaking role, Smith cut his teeth in the traditional fashion world. He interned for legendary celebrity stylist Karla Welch, assisting with clients like Justin Bieber and Tracee Ellis Ross. He later moved into PR for the luxury brand Amiri, gaining insight into how public figures leverage clothing to build personal brands.

When he joined the NFL Network in 2019, Smith saw an untapped opportunity. While the music and film industries had long embraced the power of the red carpet, the NFL’s "tunnel" was largely ignored by the fashion establishment.

"I was the only person, probably in the NFL building, that had that experience," Smith says. "I saw what Karla had done for musicians and actors... but no one was doing the same thing for athletes."

The turning point came when Smith bridged the gap between the NFL and the global stage by facilitating Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s trip to Paris Fashion Week. The move was a sensation, generating a staggering $22 million in media value. Alongside Senior VP Ian Trombetta, Smith pitched a role focused exclusively on player style and brand collaborations. The league agreed, and Smith officially stepped into the title in late 2024.

To hear Smith describe his schedule is to understand the frantic pace of the modern NFL. Since taking the role, he has rarely stayed in one city for more than a week.

"Every day is truly so different," Smith says. "One Sunday I’m at SoFi Stadium watching a game with a player's partner, then Monday I’m reviewing every tunnel fit from Sunday like a traditional editor reviewing a fashion show. Then I might fly to Ohio for a pitch meeting or shut down Rodeo Drive for a team shoot."

His responsibilities fall into three primary "buckets":

• Consumer Products: Partnering with designers for the NFL Shop to ensure merchandise appeals to a fashion-conscious demographic.
• Social Content: Curating @NFLStyle and negotiating music clearances—like securing Cardi B’s latest tracks specifically for fashion content.
• Player Support: Acting as a consultant for athletes navigating the Met Gala, Paris Fashion Week, or starting their own clothing lines.

The "Cardi B" Factor: Bridging the Gap

To Smith, the "Fashion Editor" title is as much about media strategy as it is about aesthetics. A key part of his mission is reaching audiences who might not be "avid" football fans but are obsessed with culture. This often requires navigating the complex world of licensing and celebrity partnerships.

This season, Smith secured a significant win by partnering with Atlantic Records to secure high-profile music clearances for NFL fashion content—a notoriously expensive and challenging task in the sports world.

"I was able to get Cardi B's new song, for example, to be cleared for specifically fashion content only," Smith notes. "The rest of the social department, obviously, is very jealous. But we used that song, and then she posted that video of tunnel fits onto her story."

By using Cardi B's music to score the players' arrival, Smith didn't just create a video; he made a cultural crossover. When an artist of that magnitude shares NFL content with her millions of followers, the league’s reach expands into a whole new demographic. It’s a strategy that positions the NFL less as a sports league and more as a lifestyle brand.

While the "influencer" era has led to a saturation of paid content, Smith believes NFL players offer something rare: genuine authenticity. In a league where players are hidden behind face masks, fashion provides a rare moment of unfiltered personality.

"Athletes don't do anything they don't want to do," Smith asserts. "That authenticity is palpable. If Saquon Barkley is wearing this really cool sweater, it’s probably a cool sweater. We know influencers are paid to talk about products, but athletes are choosing what to wear because it resonates with them."

This has turned the tunnel into a trend-setting engine. Smith notes that NFL players no longer just follow trends; they ignite them. Whether it’s a rookie sporting a niche streetwear brand or a veteran in a perfectly tailored suit, the "tunnel" is where the culture is being defined.

Smith’s work carries greater significance. The NFL is majority Black, yet the narrative around players is often limited to their physical prowess. By elevating fashion, Smith is allowing these men to be seen as creators, businessmen, and icons.

He points to moments like DeAndre Hopkins wearing his late father’s coat to the Super Bowl as a prime example of how fashion serves as a vessel for personal history. "I help to tell the stories that our players have," Smith says. "If a story can change someone’s life or make their day better because they know an athlete is also interested in space or whatever nerdy thing you think you’re so alone in loving, then I’ve done my job."

As Smith enters a new year in the role, his influence continues to expand far beyond the sports page. For the young professional looking to carve out an unconventional path, he offers a simple message: trust your intuition.

"My piece of advice is: you're not as crazy as you think," he says. "I've learned a couple of things from athletes, and the biggest one is believing that they can do anything. I just will give that as my piece of advice."

As the 2025 season continues, the "Tunnel Walk" will only get louder and bolder. And you can bet that Kyle Smith will be there, making sure that when the helmets come off, the world is finally seeing the players for who they really are.