Billy Embody came to SMU as a Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt Leadership Scholar and preferred walk-on quarterback and was on the roster that played in the 2010 Conference USA championship game. He entered the sports media landscape before graduating in 2014 with degrees in journalism and sport management.
The transition from athlete to sports reporter kept him connected to the Mustangs. And in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, "Run Peruna Run" is helping keep SMU on the cutting edge of NIL opportunities. The initiative connects fans with student-athletes through exclusive content and experiences. It is the vision of founder Billy Embody, who saw a way to support both the players and the fans invested in their success.
"When I looked at SMU, I saw a school that has incredible support — monetarily and from a passion perspective — across the entire athletic department to make sure the Mustangs are among the best programs in the country," Embody said. "At the same time, you need a third party who can arrange deals with athletes and give fans inside access, an inside scoop, that no media company — and even the school, to an extent — can give now."
Because he knows the ins and outs of SMU athletics, Embody understands what makes it a unique place. While some schools and NIL initiatives try to take what has worked elsewhere, that's not the case at SMU or with Run Peruna Run.
"The years of experience in covering SMU sports and the ever-changing world of recruiting that we've seen, both from NIL and the transfer portal, give us a pretty good feel for what the environment is like," Embody said. "That allows us to be pretty nimble when things change or when those new trends start to emerge. There are things that work for SMU fans or for SMU athletes that won't necessarily work for other schools. We're unique in our own ways because of our history, because of where we are in Dallas. Between having the support of the fan base that I've been able to see up close and personal and also all the support in Dallas, I think we're the perfect complement to what every SMU fan is looking for as a third-party option to support SMU athletics."
It adds to the connection between fans and players.
Hayden Howerton played in 59 games for SMU, setting the record at the time. He knows what it means to put in the work and believes Run Peruna Run can benefit both.
"The thing that excites me about Run Peruna Run is that it allows fans to connect and be closer to the student athletes," Howerton said. "As a former student athlete of SMU, I felt the love and support from the city, and I'm excited to raise the bar for our players' and fans' experience."
Embody has always tried to give back. For a long time, that has consisted of media coverage — covering games, recruiting, coaching searches, realignment and more — that could shed light on the Mustangs. He's hosted several SMU podcasts, including the Walking 'Strong Podcast presented by Epoch Wines with Bill Armstrong.
Run Peruna Run is a way to directly support the program and its athletes.
"When I talked to different people about this idea, I said, 'Look, I don't know if I'm ever going to strike it rich in oil or come up with a new world-changing invention that will allow me to give back millions from my personal account. But what I can do is hopefully lead a fan base that is so passionate,'" Embody said. "We've seen that passion up close and seen how it's grown, and for it to come full circle and leading to something that I think has the opportunity to give back millions to SMU is what it's all about."
That's something former player Reggie Dupard understands well. It was a conversation with someone who has given millions to SMU, David Miller, that put it in perspective.
Every gift counts, no matter the size, Dupard recalled of his conversation with Miller.
"I have a great understanding of that now," Dupard said. "Everyone will understand that their dollar counts. No matter what it is you can give if you love SMU, and you know we all love SMU, they've done so much for me. Everybody's going to need to understand what it takes to win."
Dupard played at SMU from 1982-85, as an All-Southwest Conference and All-American running back for the Mustangs. The former NFL first-round pick returned to SMU to get his degree after his professional career ended.
And he's tried to keep giving back, including being heavily involved with the Life After Ball program. Run Peruna Run offers another way for SMU to stand out while engaging a small but passionate supporter base.
"We need to really keep up with the way it's going now," Dupard said. "People are finding all kinds of ways to make it available, so we need this to be able to compete. And the thing that I see is we have a small alumni base, but we have a strong base."
That doesn't have to start at graduation or a certain number of years after graduating. Part of Run Peruna Run's model is getting current students and young alumni involved, including an after-party following Friday's spring football event.
"We really want to get the message out that we want young alumni and students to feel a real part of it," Embody said. "We're all a part of it, and we all deserve to feel the excitement of when SMU wins, being a part of making that happen."
In order for teams to have a chance at success, they have to reach the annual revenue share cap. But even that might not be enough to compete at the highest level.
"If you find creative ways to get your student athletes more third-party opportunities the right way, through the right mediums, those are the programs that are really going above and beyond," SMU head football coach Rhett Lashlee said. "Those are the ones that will be perennial Top 15, Top 20 teams every year. Run Peruna Run gives our entire fan base a chance to get involved."
And Lashlee believes it will take everyone. SMU doesn't churn out the number of graduates every year that many larger schools do. That means SMU alumni have to be all-in on the Mustangs in order to have success.
The SMU football team has been in the Top 25 at some point in each of the last three seasons. That's the expectation Lashlee has for his program, but the support has to be there to make that happen.
"One of the most powerful things for any school and for any athletics program and for any football program is your alumni base, and they all have to be involved," Lashlee said. "Run Peruna Run is a great opportunity for a large majority, I think, of our alumni base and our supporters to get plugged in and help our student athletes, which in turn helps our program compete at the highest level."
As for the name, it's symbolic of success on the football field. After every touchdown, SMU's mascot, Peruna, runs across the field. Run Peruna Run wants to help the Mustangs score as much as possible and have Peruna running up and down the field.
"After every touchdown, you hear the words 'run, Peruna, run' come over to the PA," Embody said. "We want to be a part of the engine that powers that announcement as often as possible in Ford Stadium."
And with every touchdown, Run Peruna Run hopes to play a part in keeping Peruna running.
Learn more at RunPerunaRun.com.
