Junior journalism student Malik Burgess completes NFL Experienceship after attending NFL Draft
By Asia J. Miller
When Malik Burgess stepped foot off the airplane to the NFL Draft, he felt a wave of excitement crash over him. The Silver Spring, MD., native attended the draft as part of the NFL Experienceship Program.
Malik worked backstage production of the 3-day event with mentors Mike North, NFL VP of Broadcast Planning, and Catherine Flowers-Yancy, VP of Broadcast Operations.
“It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I’m excited to embark on the journey that comes from participating in this program, he said. ”It felt amazing to experience something like the NFL Draft it was truly an experience that I will never forget.”
The program connects and develops students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) interested in establishing a career in sports and entertainment. The program provides the opportunity to learn the business intricacies of Football through practical learning and shadowing experiences.
“So far, I’ve been working with the team on creating content as well as working with TV companies to make sure the shows run smoothly,” he explained.
Burgess, a self-proclaimed sports guru, was the FAMU TV-20 sports anchor for the Spring 2022 semester. But Burgess’ ultimate goal is to permanently make his way behind the camera.
During the broadcast support internship, Malik attended a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, and an NFL conference in New York where he moderated a panel discussion of NFL executives.
“Being a student at FAMU allowed me to pursue this opportunity,” he said. “If I wasn’t here surrounded by the people I am, I wouldn’t be as passionate as I am.”
North said Malik’s “passion for sports and knowledge of the sports media landscape made him the perfect candidate” for an experienceship.
“Hopefully the people he met at games last season and worked with backstage at the NFL Draft last month were as impressed with him as we were, and we look forward to hearing about his accomplishments in the future.”
NFL Events Manager Kathleen Ipki echoed this saying Mailk is a “true testament to how the program works. The feedback on his job performance during this time was 100% positive as he did an amazing job executing his responsibilities.”
Malik graduates from SJGC in Spring 2023.
