On Monday, Nov. 17, the Eastern University College of Arts and Humanities welcomed award-winning NFL Films director, producer and filmmaker Courtland Bragg for an afternoon on campus. Bragg has directed, edited and produced films such as Hard Knocks, All or Nothing, A Football Life and many more. Bragg faced a lot of challenges that helped him get to the point where he is today, which he shared the Waltonian.
Bragg was rejected from more than 80 jobs and internships before finally finding a home at NFL Films. Athletics helped him throughout that journey, allowing him to learn about failure and working hard even when no one was watching. Bragg played football and basketball in high school. He then went on to play college football at West Chester University, where he was a wide receiver. Courtland always wanted to be a professional athlete, but that did not work out.
“I was always the shortest one on the field. I have experienced failure or having to work hard when no one saw, and I learned those things that, just being an athlete, you have to learn—fortitude and determination,” Bragg said.
One of Bragg’s early roles was working as a substitute teacher after interning at NFL Films. He said that experience helped him to grow and understand what servant leadership looked like in action. Servant leadership to Courtland means being a light to people who look up to him. He wants to be a leader of giving.
“That my purpose in life is to give, and that’s in all aspects. No matter what, I need to be a light and servant for others to help people,” said Bragg.
One of the mistakes Bragg sees young people make in the sports media industry is focusing too narrowly on one part of the process instead of understanding the whole. “Not everything is black and white or just A and B. There are different ways to accomplish a goal. Don’t be so laser-focused or tunnel-visioned. It’s good sometimes, but as you grow up there are different ways of life, and sometimes you can only see that if you take a step back to see the bigger picture,” Bragg said.
Credit: Jason Karch / Waltonian
Bragg was introduced to the concept of servant leadership during a conversation with someone who challenged him to define himself not by his occupation, but by who he is as a person. “I had to really think about who I am. That’s where ‘servant leader’ came from. Someone asked me ‘Well, what do you like to do?’ and I described it, and she said, ‘That sounds like a servant leader,’” Bragg said.
He learned to embrace the phrase and wanted to be a light in the world. He understood why certain things had been difficult for him; navigating life’s challenges alone prepared him to guide others through them.
With servant leadership comes trust, and Bragg certainly has earned it. He has created many pieces where he has had to uncover an athlete’s inner story, always done subtly and respectfully. One example he shared was his long-term relationship with Zaire Franklin. Franklin lost both of his parents when he was 16. He and Bragg spoke for four years, and eventually Franklin entrusted him with his story.
“I never went into meeting him with the intention of trying to tell a story. It was just, ‘Hey, how are you doing? What’s up?’ to, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Oh, you’re a dad? I’m a dad too.’ We would talk just little by little and relate to a story. So be yourself,” Bragg said.
He redirected his knowledge and passion to the sports reporting industry. As a storyteller, he felt he was made for this path. “My dream was that I’d be at one of the bigger markets in a studio, interviewing or reporting on sports or something happening in the news,” Bragg said.
“The cool thing about my current career role is that I am still able to interview. I’m able to tell the story, similar to a journalist or an anchor. So I’m still able to live out the childhood, teenage and young adulthood dream to be an interviewer and storyteller,” Bragg said.
When people hear the name Courtland Bragg years from now, he hopes they associate him with being a light in the world. One of his favorite scriptures is Matthew 5:16, which says, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
“That is something that I try to do in all things. I’m not perfect; I’m a flawed man. But my heart is to help and to serve, and I hope that that’s what I’m remembered for,” Bragg said.
As Bragg continues his work with NFL Films, he hopes to keep expanding the kinds of stories he tells. One area he wants to explore further is the off-field lives of NFL players, particularly those who are raising families while competing at the highest level. “I would love to take a peek behind the curtain of what it means to be a parent for these NFL players,” Bragg said. With so many athletes balancing football and family life, he hopes to highlight a side of the sport that fans rarely see.
