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Behind the Mic at the Super Bowl

Mercersburg Alum Gains Journalism Experience on Big Stage at Media Week

By Jack Lewis ’25

The year is 2019. Annie Klaff ’20 stands on the soccer field at Mercersburg, unaware that in five years she will be part of the team covering Super Bowl Media Week in Las Vegas.

Klaff earned the opportunity of a lifetime to report from Allegiant Stadium in February 2024 through her connections with the ACC Network, a sports television channel owned by ESPN.

“Before I even arrived, I knew going into it that it was going to be a lot of effort, a lot of time, and a lack of sleep,” Klaff said. “First thing in the morning each day, we would host a live three-hour radio show. Then, for the rest of the day, we were going out to interview players or professional broadcasters.”

Throughout the experience, Klaff had the opportunity to attend press conferences with the teams, speak with athletes on the field, and connect with other reporters and figures in the sports media industry. She also wrote an article for NBC Sports, created video packages, and met notable figures in the NFL.

“Everywhere you looked, you’d see a professional football player or legend of the game,” Klaff recalled in her article for NBC.

As the week ended, Klaff reflected on the highlights of her experience. “It was definitely very busy, but it was extremely cool,” she stated.

For Klaff, working in the communications industry has been extremely rewarding. “I have put in so much effort and dedicated so much time of my college career into making it on air, whether that’s hosting, analyzing play-by-play, or color commentary, I have done it all,” said Klaff. “I’ve really just now gotten to see the reward and see how much I can get out of it for all that I have done.”

Career Beginnings

At Mercersburg, Klaff was a soccer player and assisted in sports media. One of her first experiences was creating and developing @BlueStormReports, Mercersburg Athletics’ official Instagram page. The account is now called @MburgAthletics.

Klaff recalls one of the formative moments in her career path taking place at Mercersburg. Upon discovering that NBC Sports television anchor Rebecca Lowe ’99 was an alum of the school, she was able to reach out to Lowe and receive advice.

“It was amazing to connect with her because it was the first time I had really spoken with someone who’s a professional broadcaster. In addition, she was super nice and willing to help me,” said Klaff. “Ever since then, I’ve been inspired by her and wanted to forge my own career path in sports broadcasting. We still keep in touch!”

For the future of her career, Klaff noted, “The end goal is to be an on-air host or reporter, anything for the Premier League or NFL. I do want to be on camera reporting or hosting. The main thing I hope for is to remain in the sports industry because it really is something that I feel passionate about.”

Klaff’s Mercersburg Moment

“I had bought a couch from Fiona Flanagan ’17, and she lived in South Cottage at the time. I rallied all the troops (my freshman friends) to go help me pick it up. There were around five or six of us, and we all had to carry the couch to Fowle Hall.

There’s no elevator in South, and the hallways and staircases are very narrow. At one point, the couch got stuck in the staircase, and we were waiting there for so long, just trying to get it out. There were like seven or eight of us at this point.

Afterward, we all had to lug the couch across the softball field, but it was so heavy. We just kept taking breaks and sitting on the couch in the middle of the softball field. It was so funny to sit on a beautiful day with all my closest friends on a couch in a softball field. That would only happen in Mercersburg.”

– Annie Klaff ’20

Editor’s Note: Jack Lewis ’25 of Greencastle, PA, was an intern for Mercersburg’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications during the spring term. He is a member of the swim team, serves as an editor for The Mercersburg News, participates in the Quinn-Ferguson Honors Seminar, and is a member of the Green Team. Lewis’ future aspirations include pursuing a college degree in business and marketing.

  • Alumni Life