March 28, 2024

C-M graduate Russell gets opportunity of a lifetime at Super Bowl

Former Colfax-Mingo standout Chase Russell had no idea changing majors in the middle of his time at Iowa State University would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime.

But that’s exactly what Russell got when he took a shot and filled out an application to be a part of the media relations team that worked Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Russell spent the past season working as an intern in the Baltimore Ravens public relations department. That full-time paid position continues until April, but Russell was in Northern California all of last week assisting with press conferences that involved the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl week.

“The opportunity was a tremendous professional experience,” Russell said after his final duties in Northern California were complete Monday afternoon. “There’s an immense amount of knowledge to learn from the experience.”

Russell’s journey after high school at Colfax-Mingo, where he was a five-sport athlete, took him to Iowa State University where he majored in agricultural engineering for two years.

An internship at John Deere in Moline, Ill., put him on a completely different path. This one led him to the Iowa State University Athletics Department where he served as the media contact for the swimming and diving team.

The direction Russell wants to go now is working as a public relations professional or in a college media relations department.

“I made the change with an open mind,” Russell said. “At the time I was a rising junior, but I never would have guessed that I would be working in the Super Bowl just a few years later.”

Anyone can apply to help with media relations at the Super Bowl, but the NFL typically gives PR professionals and NFL interns in the field the first opportunity to work the game.

Russell was assigned to the NFL quote team. His duties started on Opening Night with the initial press conferences that took place on the Monday night before the Super Bowl. He also worked several press conferences throughout the week and assisted with media obligations after the Super Bowl.

“The biggest learning moment for me came after the game,” Russell said. “We were told stories before the game about how the locker room of the losing team wasn’t a fun to place to be after the game. But I had no issues with the two Carolina Panthers — Greg Olson and Mike Tolbert — that I dealt with after the game. They handled the situation with class. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was great to see them handle themselves well. I couldn’t imagine being in their position.”

Russell didn’t spend much time outside of the media center when he was working throughout the week, but he hoped to see some sights in the Bay Area on Monday before taking a red eye flight back to Baltimore.

There wasn’t time to be a fan of the game either.

“When you’re working, you are essentially the window into the player’s life between the media and the fans,” Russell said. “You have to stay business-like. You don’t want to lose anyone’s trust.”

Russell grew up a big Green Bay Packers fan and was in Northern California when the NFL announced the sport’s most recent Hall of Fame class that includes former Packer great Brett Favre. That tested his ability to stay professional, too.

“I actually got to work the press conference where they announced the Hall of Fame class,” said Russell, who graduated from Colfax-Mingo in 2011. “It was easy to stay in the work zone and not become a fan though. You just have to turn it off when you’re working.

“They had the NFL Experience and Super Bowl City out there so we got to go there and be a fan when we weren’t working.”

Super Bowl 50 could be the last game of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning’s career. That question came up in every single press conference that Russell coordinated.

“It will be a pretty cool memory if it is his last game,” said Russell, who was a four-year participant in football, baseball and golf at Colfax-Mingo.

Russell is unsure where his career will take him when his internship with the Ravens ends in April. He has a few leads though.

“Hopefully there will be some opportunities, but one of the things I will be doing is getting married,” said Russell, whose youngest sibling Chelsea is a freshman at Colfax-Mingo. “The wedding is in September.”