Tony Silvia’s eight sports journalism students got a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a sports journalist on deadline at Buccaneers’ media day. Courtesy of Alec Arroyo
By Alec Arroyo
Tony Silvia’s sports journalism course is not just a class – it is a course that gives students a day to remember by going to One Buc Place to cover the Buccaneers’ media day.
After the first class field trip covering the Rays game on Sept. 10, we were given the chance Wednesday to go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice facility and spend the day as real, credentialed sports journalists.
“It was an all-day experience,” Silvia said.“(It) was more covering behind-the-scenes, seeing what media members do on a daily basis.”
Since NFL games are played mostly on Sundays, Wednesdays are reserved for media availability, along with coach press conferences. As a class, we were given the chance to experience it all firsthand.
We had the opportunity to meet and interview two players – defensive end Carl Nassib and tight end Cameron Brate – who were both accommodating and nice as we huddled together and took turns asking them questions.
“I’ve always been a Bucs fan,” said Coleman Barber, a senior journalism and digital communications major. “Cameron Brate is my favorite player; I had to tone down my excitement.”
We also had the chance to sit and watch the first 30 minutes of practice, where we met ESPN’s Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine.
A former USF graduate, Laine was more than happy to talk with us, and it completely changed our experience overall. She gave us tips on getting into the business and what to expect when we get to certain points in our career.
Although she was on a deadline, Laine “was able to take time out of her day to talk to us,” Barber said.
“She was more relatable than anyone we have heard from,” said Lauren Meri, a junior mass communications major. “It’s cool to have something like this for us.”
After she fielded questions, Laine presented each student with a business card, and said that we could reach out to her if we ever needed help. Meeting and talking to someone of her prestige in the sporting world was huge. It gave us a look at what it means to be successful in the profession we all so badly want to be a part of.
“You learn how to navigate the field, and life,” Silvia said.
Being able to experience these little nuances of our field offered a sense of renewed motivation for us students and helped us remain focused on our shared goal of becoming sports journalists.
“Once you have that feeling, it makes it all worth it,” Meri said.
