The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement is always my busiest time of the year. From early July to the beginning of September I’m working on budgets, creating schedules, attending meetings, coordinating and directing my media team, shooting, editing, and categorizing hundreds of thousands of photos and videos. Enshrinement week this year was held from July 31st – August 4th. In 5 days, my team and I covered over 35 events across the Hall of Fame campus, downtown Canton, hotels, and more.
This year’s Hall of Fame Class consisted of Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Pat Bowlen, Gil Brandt, and Johnny Robinson. Some of my favorite highlights from the week included the Atlanta Falcons vs. Denver Broncos Hall of Fame Game, Gold Jacket Dinner, Enshrinement Ceremony, and the Concert for Legends featuring Maroon 5.
My media team consisted of me, Drew Griffing (videographer), and Alexa Frankovitch (photographer). There’s a lot to cover between the 3 of us, but I’m always proud of how we prioritize and capture what we need to.
There are a few photos that really stuck out to me in this gallery. The first one is the “Mr. B” helmet decal that the Denver Broncos wore on the back of their helmets to honor their owner Pat Bowlen, who had just passed away. If you look at the reflection in the helmet it’s the Enshrinement stage in the background, where Mr. Bowlen would have stood during his induction into the Hall of Fame. I noticed the reflection during the Broncos practice before the game, and it took me a few tries to get it lined up perfectly.
The second is the group photo of Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Warren Sapp, and Jim Kelly throwing up the Miami U sign. This was right after the big Gold Jacket group photo on Friday morning. I was told that the guys wanted to take a Miami University Alumni photo, so we organized it right before their bus left for lunch.
The last one is the photo of Ed Reed and his dad just before he unveils his Hall of Fame bust at the Enshrinement Ceremony. He had on a hat and sunglass, had a cigar in his mouth, and had one single tear streaming down his face. I think it’s such a beautiful moment.
