Fresh out on the newsstands in ESPN the Magazine’s Nov. 30th issue is a really fun feature that I shot on the Penn State University mascot, the Nittany Lion.  Though the shoot (which took place over Homecoming weekend and during that unseasonal Nor’easter last month) was not without its challenges, writer Larry Smith, assistant Brian Harkin, and I had a fantastic time stalking the Lion both in and out of costume. A special thanks to the Lion himself, Clint Gyory, who in addition to being a great athlete was also super patient with our crew.  And of course big ups to ESPN picture editors Catriona Ni Aolain and Joe Rodriguez.

The main pleasure for me with this type of story was the freedom to go a hundred different directions with it, and my huge edit of final selects proved that we packed in a ton of ideas and set-ups into our snowy 2 days.  Lion found himself in the shower, outside shoveling snow, playing Rock Band, reading the paper (we really freaked out the dog with Clint’s costumed self), and doing other mundane household duties in addition to the (all lit!) reportage follow-along shooting we did of him at pep rallies, ice cream socials, parades, arenas, changing rooms, and of course the football stadium.  The college mascots life and energy don’t ever stop, especially during homecoming, and so we didn’t either.

College athletics (and football especially) are my favorite as a fan and a member of the media because of the energy, passion, and unpredictability.  The Penn State fans were chosen for this article because they live and breathe it in this really compelling way… case in point the homecoming parade was several hours long in the freezing rain and snow and the entire route was packed with people screaming their heads off.  Sure State College is a tiny town in rural PA, but the atmosphere was infectious and it certainly helped give us a boost far after we’d have liked to head back to the hotel (which actually lost power and had to shut down).

Here are a few more favorites that didn’t make the cut: