Published: May 08, 2008 12:41 pm            

The NFL calls

• OSU’s Graham Tewell, a major in sports broadcasting, gets internship

Just because no Oklahoma State University football players were drafted by the NFL doesn’t mean no one is getting a shot in the league.

Graham Tewell, who just completed his junior year at OSU, was accepted for an internship this summer with NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, N.J. As a “production department floater” for NFL Films, Tewell will work with shooting video and editing in the post production area.

“I was just putting my name in the hat. I didn’t have that high of hopes,” Tewell said of getting the internship. “They really seemed impressed that I had run a camera, shot some games, and made some highlight reels.”

Tewell, in part, credits his success in earning the scholarship to the new sports broadcasting program offered through OSU. He said the hands-on experience that it has given him through his first few years of college probably made the difference for NFL Films.

Tewell discovered his passion for making highlight reels on accident. The purchase of a new computer five years ago led Tewell to playing around with a program that allowed him to make his own videos.

“In my spare time, I would go home and make highlight reels or movie trailers,” said Tewell.

For years, Tewell had been considering being a sports writer or a coach, but the video broadcasting took over from there. After living in Stillwater since the eighth grade, there wasn’t much of a choice to make for Tewell for his higher education.

“I’ve always been a really big OSU fan,” Tewell said, adding that his class will be one of the first to graduate in the sports broadcasting major.

While Tewell has experience with using a video camera and editing his footage into highlights, the NFL Films internship will provide something new. Tewell has covered soccer, baseball and women’s basketball, but has never filmed at an OSU football game.

Nonetheless, he said he is excited for the opportunity to take off to live in the big city from May 19 until mid-August. Tewell’s residence is sandwiched between Philadelphia, New York and Washington D.C., he said.

“I’ve been to the east coast before, but never north of, like, Georgia,” Tewell said. “It’s always a little interesting when you leave home for the first time.”

Tewell is hopeful that his experiences this summer can land him a dream job in the future. He mentioned working for ESPN “Behind the Scenes” or Fox Sports, but could see himself staying closer to home.

“I’ve always been such a huge OSU fan, I could see myself doing something production wise at the university and getting enjoyment from it,” Tewell said.

        

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