BTN Media Day 2014

An early wake-up call gets me up and going for the biggest day of the summer for the Big Ten Network: Football Media Day.

As I walk into the venue, there are cameras and people everywhere including ESPN and Fox Sports just to name a few.  As I finally make my way to the room I will be spending my entire day in, I'm full of excitement and ready to go!

My task for the day includes conducting 5 interviews, each 20 minutes in length, with both players and coaches from all around the Big Ten. This task is right up my alley. Although I'm a bit nervous, I feel very prepared because I've been working on my questions for the past week.

A couple of hours pass, and it's time to start the 26 interviews we have in total during the course of the day.  It's finally my turn.  I stand outside of the interview room to greet my first guest of the day, Wisconsin running back, Melvin Gordon, a top Heisman Candidate for this season.  This interview goes great, and I even get him to laugh! Next up I have Michigan players Devin Gardner and Jake Ryan.  Devin is a high energy guy and hugs me right away before the interview and is very easy to chat with.  Jake is next, a guy who isn't as outgoing as Devin, but who is a very enjoyable interview.  After this hour of interviews I can relax for a while before it's time to interview coaches. 

After a quick lunch break, we gear up for coach interviews.  Again, I'm first up interviewing Purdue's Head Coach, Darrell Hazel.  Hazel is a well-dressed guy who is soft-spoken but very kind.  His interview goes well, and I take a 5 min break before the interview I'd been waiting for all day, Michigan Head Coach Brady Hoke.

I greet Hoke at the door, and he is very nice to me.  We sit down for the interview and it goes so smoothly! It was such a great interview to end on.  

My time with Coach Hoke

As I start to walk out of the venue, I receive an email  from the media coordinator of Michigan Football asking if I would want to help out with online interviews with players! I am so excited, and can't wait to start this new part of my journey to become an on-air sports reporter in the fall!