Desmond Howard, far left, and the ESPN College GameDay team with members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend in Tallahassee, Fla.
GAMEDAY EXCLUSIVE CLUB TEENS GO BEHIND ESPN CAMERAS WITH DESMOND HOWARD
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esmond Howard’s work takes him to a different city every week during college football season. It comes with the territory as football analyst for ESPN College GameDay, the three-hour show that originates live from a college campus every Saturday during football season. Wherever he lands, Howard always invites local Boys & Girls Club members to the GameDay set. The former college and NFL wide receiver – one of only four players to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP – recognizes the vital role Clubs play in young people’s lives. To support these efforts, he provides Club kids this opportunity to see TV production up close. For some, it’s just a fun day out. For others, it may spark an interest in a communications career.
BEHIND THE SCENES Each week, two local Club members and a chaperone are invited to watch the production of College GameDay.
They shadow the broadcast team, arriving early in the day with the crew and on-air talent, visiting production trucks that manage video, audio and satellite transmissions. After the show, the kids often visit with Howard and his fellow cast members, taking photos and touring the GameDay bus. Over the last two seasons, more than 40 Club members have attended GameDay on nearly 20 campuses. That includes the two teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, who spent five hours backstage when the show took place at Florida State University in their hometown of Tallahassee. Theresa Flury, the president and CEO of the Big Bend Club who chaperoned the kids, described the experience as “incredibly exciting.” Especially for the Club kids. “They get excited about college and football and everything that goes with it,” said Flury, who is pictured above. And who knows? The next Desmond Howard might just be a Club member. CONNECTIONS
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