Growing up, a child may dream of a career in the sports industry. For UA alumnus Will Robertson, this dream is his reality.
Robertson got his start in media at KAMP Student Radio, working as a sportscaster. Before he knew it, he had landed an internship with KVOA-TV during his senior year.
Six months after graduating from Arizona in 2010, Robertson was offered a position working with ESPN as a Project Employee at its headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
“My first real job was at ESPN Bristol and I worked there for about seven months,” Robertson said. “I was behind the scenes and was prompting shows like ‘SportsCenter’ and ‘Numbers Never Lie,’ running the teleprompter and printing out all of the scripts.”
Robertson was shocked when he was let go from the network without any prior notice. For most of 2012, Robertson went through interview after interview, with no success.
Later that year, a friend from his high school put in a good word for him in a job in New Orleans.
He was stunned to find out he would be working a freelancing job at Super Bowl XLVII. Robertson worked as a runner for NFL Network’s coverage of Super Bowl week and as a photo assistant for Sports Illustrated.
“It was the experience of a lifetime being down there for the whole week, and then the game itself, which was certainly memorable,” Robertson said.
That was just the spark he was looking for, and he was able to make connections with many members of the media industry. He has had the opportunity to work alongside greats including Marv Albert, Mike Tirico, Bob Costas and Al Michaels and on such shows as “NBC’s Sunday Night Football,” the “NCAA Selection Show” and “ESPN’s Monday Night Football”.
Robertson attributes his success back to his start at the UA and his KAMP Student Radio experience.
“Networking is the most important thing out there for this business,” Robertson said. “You never know when people are watching and I can’t recommend it enough.”
KAMP Student Radio broadcast adviser Mike Camarillo has been in the industry for a number of years, and echoed Robertson’s point.
“[KAMP Radio] puts ambitious students in a position to network,” Camarillo said. “It is up to those individuals how to reach their goal and that is being employed in the industry.”
Robertson took advantage of his opportunity and continues to pursue his dream, even after facing hardship.
“I’ve enjoyed this ride so much,” Robertson said. “[I] honestly couldn’t have dreamed up a scenario and still pinch myself. I have done this much only three years out of college. I hope people are proud of what I am doing.”
—Follow Matt Wall @mwall20
