2019 graduate Daniel Beeck is enjoying his 'dream job' as a video producer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the upcoming football season is full of possibility — and Daniel Beeck ’19 has a front row seat to the action.
Beeck joined the professional football franchise as a video producer last year, starting as an intern and then accepting a full-time position a few months later.
His job includes shooting video and putting together highlight reels, game day trailers and other segments that are used on the Buccaneers’ social media platforms and website. Through video, he tells players’ stories, giving fans a chance to get to know the athletes beyond the field.
“Storytelling plays into every facet of what I do,” he says, “and I owe a lot of my storytelling ability to the foundational building blocks that I was able to gather at Cal.”
At Cal U, Beeck majored in communication studies and took on roles with the campus radio and TV stations and newspaper.
Though he wasn’t entirely sure which direction he wanted to go with his degree after graduation, he knew that he wanted to work for a professional sports franchise. He had a particular interest in football.
Landing a job with the Buccaneers has been a dream come true — and it’s at a remarkable moment in the team’s history.
This spring, the franchise unveiled a new brand, complete with updated fonts and uniforms. Veteran quarterback Tom Brady joined the team roster. And, of course, players and staff have been navigating COVID-19 restrictions.
From mid-March through late July, Beeck worked from home. However, as training camp ramps up, he’s back on site.
He’s tested daily for COVID-19 and wears an electronic device that tracks his movements and flashes red if he gets too close to someone. He’s also now doing locker room interviews over Zoom and keeping a greater distance from players as he films on the sidelines.
But COVID-19 precautions haven’t dampened the mood at training camp this year. With Brady joining the ranks, there’s a heightened sense of excitement.
Beeck notes the incredible experience of seeing athletes who are revered in their own right awed by a guy who’s been in the league for 20 years and has six Super Bowl rings. Beeck says everyone’s marveling at the skills and experience Brady brings to the table and wondering what’s ahead.
“It’s been pretty cool,” says Beeck. “It’s like a new excitement, that excitement of the unknown.”