From coaching the sidelines at CHS to becoming the General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, James Gladstone’s journey reflects leadership, perseverance and the power of connections. 

After playing wide receiver for Westminster University from 2010 to 2013, Gladstone took a job at Clayton in 2014 as a wide receiver coach, before eventually being promoted to Offensive Coordinator when his father, Gene Gladstone, took over as head coach in 2015. Gladstone was also brought in to serve as the Activities Coordinator at CHS at this time. 

Principal Dr. Dan Gutchewsky immediately knew the potential Gladstone had when he interviewed him for the position.

“You could tell right away, even though he was really young, that he just had a kind of poise and kind of a maturity about him that you don’t normally find, and he was very much like a go-getter,” Gutchewsky said. “He was super organized, and had a plan of what he wanted to do, and he connected really well with kids and with staff.”

Head Coach Doug Verby also agreed that he showed leadership skills both in the classroom and on the field.

“It was always clear that he was going to rise to be a leader, whether that was a teacher, principal, or a head coach, but his being involved in the National Football League is astounding,” Doug Verby said.

While in St. Louis, Gladstone was able to build a relationship with Les Snead, the General Manager of the St. Louis Rams. A relationship Verby believes changed the trajectory of Gladstone’s career. 

“Making that connection with Les Snead would be the number one contributor to his success,” Verby said. “I’ve seen some interviews with him where he says he’s lucky, but you make your own success, and other people might have gotten that opportunity and not done as well as he has.”

While Gladstone built his connection with Snead in St. Louis, soon after he got the position, the team moved to Los Angeles, and Gladstone followed. 

“It was kind of disappointing, because the Rams just left, and now they’re taking James too, but it was really cool because he basically worked as an assistant in his [Snead’s] office and then worked his way up through the scouting department,” Verby said. 

Verby believes Gladstone’s insight at the wide receiver position contributed to the Rams drafting wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, two of the best value draft picks in recent history. 

“He was obviously very attuned to the wide receiver position, and particularly slot receivers, and he was instrumental in the scouting department drafting Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who were both steals of the draft,” Verby said.

After seeing his success, Gutchewsky hopes it will continue to inspire the rest of his staff to work hard and prioritize dedication.

Gutchewsky offered advice for James to continue his success during his future at Jacksonville. 

“I hope that he continues to drive his vision, and his plan, and to take risks actually, and learn from  those risks. But it’s also important that he just continues to be James, and he’s a really good person, and that’s not something you always find in such a high-profile job,” Gutchewsky said.