As the Creative Services Coordinator for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Full Sail Digital Media grad Michael Benford is a vital part of the team, even though he doesn’t suit up on Sundays. Instead, Benford is helping to define the visual identity of the team, and he’s got his fingerprints on just about every piece of media the Falcons produce.

Benford uses a diverse skill set to manage a job that spans the entire spectrum of the Falcons’ media efforts. “I actually service just about every department in the Falcons organization,” he explains. “Any graphic you see on the website, I do. Any advertisement… or any print collateral we put out, like invitations to events, ads, or certificates, I do.” Benford also coordinates his time with the public relations staff to produce a 600-page guide for media support and a season summary book for season ticket holders.

The job is a dream come true for a football fan, as many of Benford’s responsibilities require him to be on the scene for each week’s game. “I travel with the team,” he says. “The first half, I get to watch a lot because there’s not a lot going on yet. At halftime, I go down to the field to grab these flash cards from our team photographer, then I go back up in the press box and put together a first half photo gallery on the website. Then after the game I stream the post-game press conference to the web. Once it’s over, I break things down … I usually have 20 to 40 minutes to put the photo gallery together, pulling the photos I’m going to post and … putting them up on the site.”

Benford loves his job, but it isn’t all cake. “You’re definitely under a lot of pressure to make sure things are up and going right,” he says. “You’re in a business where you can’t have any mistakes. It’s a huge media market. But once you’re in season, it isn’t really as bad. Mondays and Wednesdays you have your press conferences. They’re crazy. Game day is a little crazy. But a lot of the stuff that leads up to the season – getting the media guide together in time for training camp – is what really gets intense.”

But it’s a gratifying position, and one where he can truly see the results of his work. “Every Sunday, when I see all the signage that’s hanging around the dome – lots of it is my design. Even the 50-yard line and end zones… that’s my work – all these different things that I never thought I would have a part in playing. We’ve got these huge monster trailer trucks, a museum truck and a merchandising truck. Getting to design details on a 30 foot trailer is pretty cool.”

Five years down the road, Michael says he’d still love to be in the NFL. “[I’d like to] get myself a Super Bowl ring,” he says. “That probably has to be the number one goal. That would be a killer.

“You definitely have to love doing this,” Benford says of his job. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours. If you aren’t enjoying it, you aren’t going to make it through. It takes its toll on you, but when I start to feel a little down about it, I think, ‘I could be doing this for a realtor. But I’m working in the NFL.” And then he’s back on track.