From Sidelines to Super Bowl

When the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in February, Philip Melroe captured the action. From pregame coverage to confetti falling for the Chiefs win, Phil was an integral part of the in-stadium fan experience as a video board replay operator.

During the largest sporting event of the year, he projected replays, caught crowd excitement, and provided over 70,000 fans with real time game highlights.

“It didn’t feel real at the time,” he says.

Phil graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2021. He is currently located in Arizona where he works as a freelance video producer using skills learned while earning his photojournalism degree.

So, what led this Dragon graduate to be a part of the nation’s most watched event?

It all started with his love for video...and football.

Phil wanted the experience he needed to succeed in his career. With family in Fargo and an older brother interning with the athletics GO Team, he felt that MSUM was the right start.

“It was a good size where I had community and didn’t feel like a statistic,” he says.

Phil started his college career as a part of the university’s football team. He loved playing on the field and making friends with the other athletes.

With his love for football, Phil also had an eye for photos.

His classes strengthened his understanding of how he could tell a story through images. He began thinking about the story a photo tells, the angles needed to get the right shot and how to find the best photo possible.

“It’s about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone,” he says. “You can find a photo in anything; you just have to work at it.”

Then Covid hit.

At the time, many activities were put on hold, especially athletics. Without the time he spent playing, he needed to find a way to still connect with the athletes. That’s when he fully dived into his work on the Go Team.

Phil covered games of his friends on other sports teams. He was running video, broadcasting games, running cameras and technical directing. He gained an interesting perspective on the action of a game as both a player and a production member.

“It was fulfilling to work for other sports because you capture moments of your friend on that team and worked behind the scenes,” he says. “It filled in that gap.”

Phil also was involved in other storytelling activities. He began participating in Campus News. He started as a photographer, helping construct reports and shoot video for story coverage. Eventually he became the technical director working alongside faculty.

Today, Phil gets to play a part in large-scale projects. He’s worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Monster Jam, and concerts.

He appreciates the way he’s been able to strengthen his skills inside and outside the classroom during his time on campus.

“Having a well-rounded experience helped me. Extracurriculars aided my resume and got my foot in the door,” he says.

So, what’s next?

For Phil, he leads his future through his love of covering sports and his knack for gameday production.