INDIANAPOLIS – The 2023 NFL Combine has been over for a few weeks now, and I have had some time to sit back and reflect on my experience there.
Before getting into the rest of this article, I would first like to once again thank everyone on the New Era Prep staff for the opportunity to live out my dream of covering the NFL.
While at the Combine, I got to sit in and ask questions at an NFL press conference.
This was the part that I originally found the most intimidating. But as the week went on, I got more comfortable and confident in myself and I believe it showed with some of the questions I was asking towards the end.
After I got the footage that I wanted, I stepped off to the side so I could post the videos on Twitter in order to produce live updates.
After media availability ended, I went over to the media workroom to sit down, grab something to eat, and edit pictures that I took during the conferences.
When I was finished editing everything I needed, I made my way over to Lucas Oil Stadium to watch the drills. The walk from the Indianapolis Convention Center to Lucas Oil Stadium only took 10 minutes, so I went by foot to check out the city.
During my walk one morning, I stopped at one of the hotels so I can grab a cup of coffee from the Starbucks inside. As I’m waiting in line, I hear the barista say “I have an order for Mike”. As I turn around, I found myself standing next to Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
After I introduced myself to Coach McDaniel, I was lucky enough to talk over a cup of coffee with him. We had a great conversation, and yes, he is just as funny in person as he is in interviews.
I usually arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium around an hour before the Combine drills started. This gave me plenty of time to find a good seat, test equipment, and just observe what the prospects did to prepare for the drills ahead.
At this point, my hands were definitely full. I had to take pictures and videos, edit that footage, give live updates on twitter, and occasionally write a quick article.
Early on in the week, I met with a representative from an agency that had a few players invited to the Combine. As we got talking, she told me that they did not have anyone with a camera there, so I got invited by her to come out to the hotel that all of the players were staying at and interview their clients with them.
When I arrived at the hotel, it was like a dream come true. I got to sit down and talk one-on-one with a few players who I’ve been watching play for years like Will Levis (QB, Kentucky), Max Duggan (QB, TCU), Jordan Addison (WR, USC), Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio St), and Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Alabama).
The interviews went very well, and I forwarded all of the footage to her and she sent it to their media team.
My experience at the 2023 NFL Combine was amazing. I truly am thankful for this awesome opportunity. I had a lot of fun, and I’m truly excited to watch these very talented players on Sundays.
