College of Arts and Sciences

NFL Sports Journalism and Communications Boot Camp 2015

Sixteen current and former NFL players took part in the third-annual NFL Sports Journalism and Communications Boot Camp.

The four-day program focused on improving players’ writing skills for newspapers, radio, and digital media. Industry professionals and Bowling Green State University faculty led panel discussions, breakout sessions, and writing labs.

The boot camp was held from May 14-17 on the BGSU campus.

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Dick Maxwell, BGSU journalism alum and retired director of broadcast operations for the NFL, welcomes players to the opening session.

Faculty and graduate students at the welcome dinner in BGSU's Sebo Athletic Center.

Dick Maxwell moderates a panel on the state of the sports media industry.

Malcolm Moran, former New York Times sports reporter and current director of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University, talks about changes in the sports media industry.

Howard Deneroff of Westwood One Radio and Mark Champion, television play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Pistons.

Gerry Matalon, Senior Coordinating Producer of On-Air Talent Development for ESPN.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com and Malcolm Moran help boot camp participants prepare for a mock press conference with BGSU football Head Coach Dino Babers.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com helps players plan questions to ask Coach Babers.

Coach Babers begins the mock press conference for Boot Camp participants.

Ben Hartsock (foreground) and Jonathan Goodwin (background) listen to Coach Babers.

Coach Babers responds to a question asked during the mock press conference.

Jared Wadley, BGSU journalism alum and current Senior Public Relations Specialist at the University of Michigan, makes a presentation on crisis management.

Boot camp participants attend a session on using social media in sports journalism.

Jim Foust, professor in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations, makes a presentation on multimedia storytelling.

Kelly Taylor, lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations, makes a presentation on different story types.

Langston Moore listens to a speaker at the social media presentation.

Jason Romano, senior manager for social media at ESPN, talks to players about the various ways the network uses social media.

NFL Referee John Parry holds a press conference for boot camp participants.

Walter Harris and Ramses Barden listen to Parry's presentation. Players later had an opportunity to write about the press conference.

Parry talks to players about the off-season and pre-game preparation that goes into NFL officiating.

Bobby Carpenter prepares to ask Perry a question.

Players work on their stories in one of BGSU's computer labs.

Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network and Malcolm Moran talk about effective writing techniques for today's audience.

Dick Maxwell moderates a panel on about what players should do next on the final morning of the boot camp.

Ryan Fowler, BGSU Journalism alum and current fantasy sports editor at foxsports.com, talks to players about social media.

Howard Deneroff (center) announces the awards for best radio commentary. Stephen Merrill (left), an instructor in the BGSU Department of Telecommunications, recorded and produced the commentaries, and Lori Liggett (right), an instructor in the BGSU Department of Telecommunications, helped judge the commentaries.

Players pose for a group picture on the BGSU football field at the conclusion of the boot camp.

Updated: 12/01/2017 10:57PM