Letter from the Photo Editor: Mr. Manning, Miami and my future career

ERICKSEN GOMEZ-VILLEDA Photo Editor

Welcome back, Vols. For those of us who made it out to Miami on Dec. 30, what a game and what a way to end the season! I had the privilege of traveling down to the Orange Bowl as a photographer for The Daily Beacon to see our Volunteers take on Clemson.

As I drove down to Miami, I was able to reflect on a few things: life, the future, what I want to do after graduation in May. I was also able to enjoy some quiet time and not have the music controlled by a toddler.

I’ll be the first to admit I was nervous. This was a big game (and yes, I know Tennessee played in some big games and had some amazing finishes this season), and I definitely felt imposter syndrome as it got closer and closer to kickoff.

Something that helped was being able to talk with some of the local media personalities who also traveled to Miami for the game. I had met a few of them before on other assignments for the Beacon and when I did my internship last semester at the Daily Times in Maryville, but here it was more informal, and we could sit and talk. I picked their brains about the job and what to expect, and they were more than encouraging.

The day of the game, I drove to Hard Rock Stadium and walked around, getting lost a few times as I searched for the media room. Walking into the media room was like walking into command central – computers and camera gear everywhere, photographers editing photos of warmups and writing captions before the game had even begun.

I decided to take my camera and walk outside where I stumbled upon the Volunteer Alumni party. I took some photos of alumni, and I even ran into a few classmates as the Pride of the Southland Band played for the crowd.

As I made my way back into the stadium, Tennessee alumnus and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was ushered into the stadium as well. He posed and took a few photos with fans and then was escorted to his seat. While making my way back to the media room, I ran into Mr. Manning and sa a quick hello. Unfortunately, it was too dark in the tunnel to get a decent photo of him.

The game itself was amazing. I was able to capture Squirrel White’s diving catch. I was right there when Jabari Small was pulled into the endzone for a Tennessee Touchdown and when Ramel Keyton walked in for a score. I saw