My Summer Experience: Corey Krupa

I interned at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Corey Krupa
Print Journalism Major

My internship experience with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was amazing. I interned in the brand-new Ralph Wilson Jr. Research and Preservation Center. My official title was Football Information Intern and I essentially helped with the communications aspect at the Hall of Fame.

My major is print journalism and my minor is sports management/ethnic studies, so this opportunity was perfect for me. Everyone that works and volunteers at the Hall of Fame is very welcoming and friendly. I loved interning there and it definitely did not feel like work.

Throughout my two-month internship I met quite a few Hall of Famers or “Gold Jackets” as they are called. I met one of my favorite Hall of Famers, Dan Hampton, who was a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl Championship team. All of the “Gold Jackets” that I got a chance to meet were genuine guys and had many interesting stories to tell. In June, all 256 of the NFL’s drafted rookies from the 2014 class visited the Hall of Fame. I helped out with the tours and got to see rookies like Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney and Blake Bortles in person.

The first weekend in August was the busiest time in Canton because the newest Hall of Fame class was being formally enshrined. Thousands of football fans came from around the country that weekend to see another class of football players forever immortalized into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The class of 2014 featured legendary athletes such as Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.

Saturday’s enshrinement was broadcasted on ESPN and featured an emotional speech from each member of the 2014 class. Hall of Fame weekend concluded with the start of the NFL preseason between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants at Hall of Fame Field in Canton. I helped work in the press box for both of the events and it was a very cool experience to be working in a press box during an NFL game. My time in Canton went by very fast and I am forever grateful for the amazing opportunity I had at the Hall of Fame. I encourage every football fan to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame and soak in all of its rich history.