Chris Ash

Rutgers coach Chris Ash's Life Beyond The Game program helped players land internships and visit the studios of ABC News, Google and SNY.

(John Munson | NJ Advance Media)

As they will be all season, Rutgers teammates Darius Hamilton and Sebastian Joseph were side-by-side Friday.

Only instead of manning the interior of the defensive line in a battle of the trenches, Hamilton and Joseph occupied the anchor's desk in the ABC News studio for a commemorative photo opportunity.

The visit was one of three stops on a career day tour that also took select Rutgers players to the offices of Google and SNY.

"It's in line with what our programs goal are," coach Chris Ash told NJ Advance Media.

"One of our four program goals is to help players build a network and be successful when football is over. That was an extension of everything we've done so far in the first semester."

Career site visit today at ABC News, Google, & SNY. #RFootball pic.twitter.com/xTAfVRzNx9 — Rutgers Football (@RFootball) July 15, 2016

Ash instituted his Life Beyond The Game program after seeing the benefits of a similar setup at Ohio State. For 45 minutes each Wednesday during the spring, a successful professional mentored Rutgers football players on real-world skills.

It was a football-only supplement to the Rutgers Leadership Academy for student-athletes run by associate athletic director and former football star Shawn Tucker.

"We had a ton of players do internships this summer," Ash said. "Our program and Shawn Tucker's program have worked together to, I think, provide one of the best programs in college football for life after football.

"This was a continuation of being able to take a group of football players out and give them a look at what it looks like in real life. It's one thing when speakers come, it's another to go out and see it first-hand."

.@RVisionRU: Video Recap of @RFootball's Visit to Google NYC and SNY https://t.co/rnG4xTW3yS — Rutgers Scarlet Knights (@RUAthletics) July 18, 2016

The program featured guest appearances by Rutgers supporters such as Peter Gibson (co-CEO of Knowledgent Group), Andy Koerner (president of Paradigm Sports & Entertainment Group) and Bob Skea (Head of the Americas at Dun & Bradstreet).

It also marked the return of former Rutgers athletics director Tim Pernetti, who is the president of IMG College Multimedia after he was forced to resign in April 2013 amid the Mike Rice abuse scandal.

In addition to Hamilton and Joseph, the group of players who toured sites Friday included quarterback Hayden Rettig, defensive linemen Julian Pinnix-Odrick and Darnell Davis, linebackers Isaiah Johnson, T.J. Taylor and Eric Margolis, and safety Andre Hunt.

"It's an opportunity -- especially for older guys who are getting really serious about what they are going to do when football is over -- to help them find their passion and help them find their lives," Ash said. "Giving them real-life exposure like that is invaluable."

Though television studio appearances are just another part of Ash's job, the first-year coach appreciated the obvious thrill his players got from seeing how media works behind the scenes.

Proximity to New York City and its wealth of career opportunities is a pitch that Rutgers coaches use on the recruiting trail.

"To be able to go and sit somewhere you see on TV," Ash said, "is pretty cool."

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.