Engagement Insider
6/24/13
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ June 20, 2013 – NFL Player Engagement’s (NFLPE) flagship program raised its game this week by adding the first-ever Advanced level to run concurrently with its Broadcast Boot Camp (BBC).
The Advanced program featured four previous graduates of the annual four-day BBC, one of its longest-running and highest-profile programs, which is held at the iconic NFL Films headquarters in Mount Laurel, NJ.
“We are always exploring opportunities to improve and expand our offerings, so adding onto our foundational Boot Camp was the perfect program to implement this innovation,” said Troy Vincent, Senior Vice President of NFL Player Engagement. “Players achieving second-career success in broadcasting is practically as old as the game itself, so adding this next level fits into our mission of doing the utmost to ensure player success after the game.”
Indeed, the four chosen players -- Chad Brown, Kevin O’Connell, Takeo Spikes and Roland Williams -- were totally tuned into this Masters program of sorts.
“After I attended the first Broadcast Boot Camp in 2007, I went back to the locker room and took advantage of every opportunity,” said Free Agent Spikes while speaking on the advanced player panel on Thursday morning. ”Don’t wait until you’re done playing to try to get work because you never know who you’ll meet or where you’ll end up,” he advised the current BBC participants.
His advice was articulated in even more realistic terms by fellow panelist O’Connell, who stated, “You need to hear ‘that’s terrible’ and ‘you can’t do that’ from the best in the business, and this is the only place you’ll get that.”
This expert faculty included the likes of James Brown, Ron Jaworski and Dick Vermeil teaching a curriculum comprised of studio TV taping sessions and on-air radio reporting, to go along with classroom-style work on writing and editing. There was even voice-coaching from industry veteran Arthur Joseph, founder of the Vocal Awareness Institute.
For attendees, the end result was walking away with a demo reel, which broadcast industry candidates typically submit to potential employees as the first – and often future -- step in the process.
“Think of your demo reel as a first date. Are you going to wait until the second or third date to show your best stuff? Put it out there right away,” said Gerry Matalon, Senior Coordinating Producer of On-Air Talent Development for ESPN TV Production and ESPN Radio.
Clearly a key ingredient for the on-air approach, but the event also mixed in the production side of the various mediums, which clearly completed the overview for the 20 attendees.
“This has been an amazing experience,” observed A.J. Hawk of the Green Bay Packers. “I am inspired to pursue a career in this field after learning more than I thought I would.”
Another participant was equally inspired
“This program completely validates my career choice and desire to be in this industry,” emphasized former player Tommy Knight.
An industry that covers so many diverse areas, which were also laid out for participants.
This array of career options can include being an anchor, game analyst, or live game reporter, and also whether to work at a national or local level. Within these genres are specifics and specialties to consider, like game and/or show preparation, teleprompter familiarity, interview techniques, on-field interviews, and of course, non-stop rehearsals.
And with all this, attendees were also taught the importance of the management view.
For the four from the Advanced program, they got all this and more the first time around, as well as a higher level of some of the same topics during this session, in addition to additional subject matter in areas such as social media.
To top it off, the program’s physical setting at NFL Films headquarters serves as the perfect setting to propel the players to greater heights since it has a museum-like history with a Hall of Fame feel.
As they sit in classrooms and studios, they are surrounded by pictures and posters that depict the full history of the NFL and its legendary broadcasting background.
Even when changing classes, they are walking hallways adorned with football artifacts of past eras that remind them of the game they know so well, and soon may be articulating to rabid and record-breaking NFL viewers and listeners.