Here. We. Go.

Reflecting

This past Saturday night, I was sitting in my new home in Des Moines, IA, watching the Montana State Bobcats take the field for their annual Gold Rush game. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but reflect on what a whirlwind life has been since graduating college.

Like most 26-year-olds, I left school thinking I had some idea of how my career would unfold. But between a pandemic, a couple moves across the country, and some unexpected opportunities, I now find myself in a place I both did and didn’t expect to be.

Finding Filmmaking

At Saint John’s University, my love of football slowly turned into a love for filmmaking.

After my playing days ended in 2017, I stayed involved as a student coach. Around the same time, I noticed Division I programs beginning to use social media “hype videos” to elevate recruiting. Something clicked for me—I wanted to try the same thing at SJU.

From quarterback to camera guy — this moment at the 2019 Johnnie Tommie rivalry game was a moment where I realized this may be something I can pursue as a full-time career.

Armed with a Canon T3i and almost no clue how to use it, I filmed winter workouts and cut together my first video in iMovie. When I showed it to the coaching staff, their reaction blew me away. By sophomore year, I had fully transitioned from drawing up play sheets to creating films for the team.

Three years and thousands of reps later, I realized I wasn’t just a football player chasing a business degree—I was a filmmaker learning to tell stories.

Entering the Real World

By the time I graduated in December 2020, creative media roles in college athletics were booming—until the pandemic wiped them off the map.

With few options, I took a corporate video producer job in Des Moines to be closer to Emma (now my wife). It paid the bills, but I craved something more. So I quit, freelanced full-time, and spent the next year grinding—traveling, building connections, and creating work I was proud of.

Then Montana came calling.

Montana Years

In the summer of 2022, Emma and I road-tripped to Montana and Idaho. We got engaged, soaked in the mountains, and felt something stir in us. A few months later, I returned to Bozeman to film a Montana State game for my friend Ravi Alston. That night, under the lights of Bobcat stadium, I knew something was different.

Not long after, Montana State’s athletic department offered me a full-time role. By December, Emma and I had packed up a U-Haul and moved west.

The next two and a half years were unforgettable. We got married in the mountains, built a community, and experienced once-in-a-lifetime moments—including a run to the 2024 National Championship. Professionally, I logged thousands of hours behind the camera, producing films I’ll always be proud of.

One of the best days of our lives — Montana gave us so much more than we ever expected.

But as much as we loved Bozeman, reality set in. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world—but also one of the most expensive. With dreams of buying a house and saving for the future, we made the tough decision to leave.

Back to the Midwest

In April 2025, we loaded the U-Haul again and moved in with Emma’s parents in Minnesota while house-hunting. A few months later, we found the perfect home in Des Moines. Since then, life has been a blur of house projects, new routines, and exciting freelance opportunities.

Yes, we painted the entire house beginning the moment we moved in…

Looking Ahead

So as I sat on the couch this weekend, watching the Bobcats run out for Gold Rush, I was hit with gratitude. Our Montana chapter will always be a part of us—the people, the memories, the lessons. But I also know Emma and I are right where we’re supposed to be.

She’s thriving in her career, and I now have the freedom to stretch my creative muscles beyond football. I’ll still find my way to the sidelines when I can, but for the first time, I feel fully equipped to grow a business and chase new creative horizons.

Here We Go

This is my first blog post, my first time owning a home, and my first real step into building something bigger than myself. I know there will be challenges ahead, but the road that brought me here has prepared me for what’s next.

I’m grateful, I’m excited, and I’m ready.

Here we go.