Nate Brown: I was media when…
The first football game I covered was a 52-7 drumming of St. Francis University at Lynchburg’s City Stadium, Sept. 4, 2010. Mike Brown and Chris Summers teed off that game and made covering the story easy enough.
After the game, I interviewed Brown and Summers in a quiet, shaky voice.
That’s when Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. walked up to talk to then-coach Danny Rocco.
I turned to my media liaison, Todd Wetmore, and asked, “Am I allowed to talk to Jerry?”
Memories — Nate Brown recalls his highlights after two years of being on the Champion staff. Photo Credit: Brent Fortenberry
“Sure, if he’ll talk to you,” Wetmore said.
I strode over to the chancellor and cleared my throat.
“Ahem, Mr., Dr., Chancellor Falwell Jr., sir?” He didn’t turn around.
I stood there like Mr. Collins trying to introduce himself to Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and cleared my throat again.
“Dr. Falwell?”
“That’s my dad,” he said as he finally turned around.
Several things went through my mind in a split-second. The first was that Chancellor Falwell is much taller in person than I expected. The second was that this was actually Chancellor Falwell, son of the Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr.
My voice cracked on the first question I asked him.
“What did you think of the ga-ame, sir?”
He looked me in the eye and gave me an honest answer. I asked a few more questions, and we ended up talking about the Green Bay Packers and Dr. Falwell’s friendship with Bart Starr.
I left that game on cloud nine and told all my dorm buddies about it.
From that day two years ago, it has been a rich and unforgettable journey.
I interviewed Orlando Magic co-founder and CEO Pat Williams while he was walking from Thomas Road Baptist Church to his car and chatted with Rashad Jennings at a baseball game about the NFL lockout that hadn’t happened yet.
I was media when Tebowmania happened. Linsanity happened. Sixburg happened. LeBron’s ring still hasn’t happened.
It’s been a great two years.
Thanks to Brent Fortenberry, I dunked a basketball, a lifelong dream of mine of and my boss. Heck, I’ve even got the picture to prove it. You can’t even see the trampoline I had to jump on to accomplish it.
Ed Gomes and Ben Shipps showed me what it really means to be ‘second.’
Chris Lang talks to me now. Sometimes.
It’s been an incredible two years, and I will deeply miss and remember the memories I’ve made, the relationships I’ve been blessed with and the platform which God allowed me to use.
From a City Stadium press tent, to now, I wouldn’t trade any of it.