inside.hokiesports.com 27 Continued on page 28 FROM HOKIEVISION ON BEAMER WAY TO NFL GAMEDAY When people think of making it to the NFL, they often think about the players on the field. But the NFL goes far beyond what you see on the gridiron. We caught up with three VT Monogram-winners who have made it to the NFL, not from a football being in their hands but through the lens of a video camera beginning on Beamer Way to now on NFL Gameday. Nolan Nichols– ’14 (nolan5@vt.edu), Club Director for Managers, Video and Trainers, recently connected with three monogram-winning student videographers at VT about their emerging video careers. Elyse Ricigliano (’20) is now a Broadcast Production Intern for the Green Bay Packers; Darrell Grant (’21) is now a Seasonal Digital Video Intern for the Atlanta Falcons; and David Kelsey (’20) is now a Gameday and Live Events Producer for the Kansas City Chiefs. Q: What’s your role like working in the NFL? Elyse Ricigliano: “A lot of my day is spent preparing and editing for our show, “Total Packers with Matt LaFleur,” and covering media availability and press conferences.” Darrell Grant: I edit our “Mic’d Up” and “Film Review” segments early in the week. After that, the rest of the week is mainly filming and editing press conferences leading up to gameday. David Kelsey: My typical day revolves around creating video content for our video board show inside Arrowhead Stadium, as well as producing and directing our live pregame and postgame shows on the Chiefs social media pages. Q: What do you enjoy most about working for an NFL team? Elyse Ricigliano: Something I really enjoy about working for an NFL team is that all the focus is on your one team. You really feel like you are part of the team, even though it’s such a big organization with so many people working behind the scenes. Every game feels so important. Darrell Grant: There are so many different moving pieces that work together to provide their fans the best content possible, and I think that’s the coolest thing ever. Also, seeing some of my favorite NFL players is pretty cool. David Kelsey: Every gameday the entire city is only focused on one thing and that is Chief’s football. It is extremely rewarding to have the fan base behind you and know that your content is helping create that fan engagement and excitement. It is very similar to the type of passion that Virginia Tech fans exhibit towards their Hokies! Q: How did working with HokieVision prepare you for this opportunity? Elyse Ricigliano: Without HokieVision, I wouldn’t have been prepared for this opportunity. Having all the extra knowledge I learned during that time has helped me out so many times. Darrell Grant: HokieVision helped prepare me for this opportunity because it showed me how a team is supposed to move and operate. It showed me that a team cannot excel if everyone is not on the same page, and I’m thankful for that. David Kelsey: At VT, I learned from the best in the business and gained hands-on experience. When I left HokieVision, I had the confidence to contribute to a professional team because of the resources and knowledge they provided me as an undergraduate student-intern. Q: What has been the biggest difference from working in college to pro football? Elyse Ricigliano: It’s definitely the length of the season, which also means more work to do with the extra few months of games. For me personally, my job responsibilities, especially on gameday, are a lot calmer because I’m solely focusing on specific roles. Darrell Grant: The scale of production in the NFL compared to college is night and day. The NFL is very keen on their numbers and analytics and is always looking to get ahead of the competition. They look at everything to see what works and what does not work. David Kelsey: There is an extremely exciting opportunity in the NFL to reach a large group of people who are eager to consume team content. With the viewing audience being greater, it is also often easier to build connections with the audience, which allows for more effective storytelling and higher engagement. Q: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned? Elyse Ricigliano: The biggest lesson I’ve learned since starting in the NFL is that it’s important to take some time away from work. It’s busy working in sports, but it’s also definitely possible to make time away from everything, even if it’s just in the evenings or one day a week. Darrell Grant: My biggest takeaway has been that I’m not just a videographer, I’m a content producer. If you make the viewer feel any type of emotion while watching your piece then you’re doing something right. David Kelsey: An important lesson that I’ve learned since working in the NFL is that at the end of the day the NFL is a business. The athletes are all professionals and while there is a passionate fan base like those at the college level, the organization exists to make money. Q: What are your next goals as you move forward in your career? Elyse Ricigliano: My next career goal is to continue working in sports videography but in a more permanent position. I’d still love to go back to working in baseball one day, but I’m open to anything once my internship in Green Bay ends! Darrell Grant: I’m looking to find a full-time job in sports because sports is my passion, and the love that I have for sports is unfathomable. David Kelsey: My future career goals are to eventually become a Director of Live Events and Gameday Productions for a professional sports organization. SOCCER – A FAMILY ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Scott (’07 & Men’s Soccer) & Jessica (Myers) Spangler (’04 & Women’s Soccer) live in Jacksonville, FL. Scott and Jessica met in 2002 at VT, however, they didn’t start dating until 2009 when they reconnected in Pennsylvania and then married in 2011. Both had very successful soccer careers at VT, with Scott being team captain of the 2007 Final Four team, and Jessica garnishing 2x Offensive Player of the Year (2002 & 2003) and Big East Player of the Week (2003). Their experience as VT student-athletes led them into their current careers. Scott Spangler (’07) currently owns a sports company, Future Captains Sports, and has been the head soccer coach at Penn State Brandywine (2013-15), coached for the Olympic Development Program (2010-19), was assistant coach with the Philadelphia Union Academy (2017-20), and presently is the Youth Director for Jacksonville Soccer Club. Scott says, “Virginia Tech provided me with soccer connections to build a sports company and advance in my coaching career. I really enjoy helping youth develop and reach their goals!” Jessica (Myers) Spangler (’04) really enjoyed the relationships she had with the athletic advisors at VT and wanted to follow that career path. She started at the University of Maryland (2006-09), University of Delaware (2009-20) and now serves as an Athletic Advisor at the University of North Florida. Jessica said “I love being around college student-athletes and helping them through the transition from high school to determining what they want to do after college and helping them reach their goals.” The Spangler’s are a very active family with their four children, Scott (9), Thomas (8), Carolina (6) and Salma (4). In 2021 their son, Thomas, won the 2014-age-group 3v3 National Championship, and the Arizona so Thomas could attend the Barca Residency Academy. They say that the biggest joy is “watching our children grow and supporting their interests and spending time together as a family.” (Blair Nelson– ’04, Director for Women’s Soccer – HokieBeach757@gmail.com) monogram.hokiesports.com
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