The days of thousands of football fans cheering for Kyle McIntosh as he darted into the end zone for Cheshire High School in Connecticut, Syracuse University and the NFL Europe are long over.

These days, McIntosh, an AVANGRID HR Lead Recruiter, plays on a different type of team and he scores a different type of touchdown. The big score is when he finds the best job candidate, matches the candidate with the right job and helps AVANGRID improve its talent base. Agility was a critical skill all those years ago on the gridiron and it remains so at AVANGRID.

“In this line of work, you have to be able to pivot in five different directions,” he said.

Recruiting is a complex process and requires Mcintosh to maintain good relationships with job candidates and hiring managers at AVANGRID and adapt to new technology, like the new Success Factors job search software.

“We’re only as good as our people,” said McIntosh, who can be responsible for filling up to 40 jobs at any given time.

His game strategy now is maintaining a strong talent pipeline and making sure he’s talking to hiring managers often and understanding the type of talent they need. His team of fellow recruiters provides support and unity.

“This team reminds me of some of the most successful teams I’ve been on,” McIntosh said, referring to his colleagues.

Anyone who followed high school football in Connecticut in the early ‘90s remembers McIntosh well. He was the star running back for Cheshire High School, a four-year starter, three-time state champion and the 1994 New Haven Register Player of the Year. The success continued at Syracuse, where he was a four-year starter from 1995 to 1998. There were Big East championships and bowl games. He suited up alongside NFL stars like Donovan McNabb, Keith Bulluck and Dwight Freeney. He rushed for a total of 2,250 yards.

After college, he landed on the practice squad for the Detroit Lions and played in the NFL Europe. Injuries halted his pro career and today, he has two titanium plates in his arm. But the skills he learned on the field still apply at AVANGRID.

“I don’t understand the word ‘quit,’” he said.