And the EMMY Goes To…
As communication studies majors, Dakarai Daniel and Andrew Proctor spent long hours working side-by-side in the Freedom Hall television studio, producing both classroom and personal projects.
The pair would often find themselves still hard at work at 1 or 2 a.m., and credit Campus Safety for being so accommodating in letting them stay so late.
Fast forward several years, and the friends and 2019 alumni are back working side-by-side, this time for the Washington Commanders football team as producers for game presentation.
And now they have an EMMY Award to their names.
“This is the coolest experience of my life to date,” said Daniel.
Daniel and Proctor were producers on a team of Commanders staff who won an EMMY at the 67th Capital EMMY Awards for the sports open / tease video they helped create. The video, which plays in-stadium just before the players run out of the tunnel, pays homage to the team’s history through a mystical motif.
Watch the EMMY-award winning video here
The Widener alums helped devise the story and “put pen to paper. It was an opportunity to tell an all-encompassing story that hits home for older fans and newer fans,” said Daniel.
Daniel and Proctor are not the only Widener grads to win an EMMY Award this year.
Rich Massi ’97 was part of a team that won a Sports EMMY for Outstanding Interactive Experience for NBC / Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Massi, vice president of Direct-to-Consumer Reliability & Performance at NBCUniversal, was a senior producer on the effort.
Daniel and Proctor are thriving in the fast-paced world of the NFL. Both credit their success to their time at Widener working on industry-standard equipment, the experiences gained inside and outside the classroom, and the connections forged.
Proctor’s first brush with sports production was a class trip to the nearby Philadelphia Union, where he and his fellow students toured the stadium’s production facilities.
Proctor remembers dreaming what it would be like to work in such a setting and calls it surreal that it actually materialized.
We had that type of exposure and connection, practically right down the street." — Andrew Proctor '19
Proctor went on to hone his skills with sports broadcasting for Widener TV and Athletics. Communication Studies Professor Angie Corbo then shared a post-graduation internship opportunity to Proctor with the Philadelphia Eagles. That led to freelancing opportunities with the team – as well as work with other area sport franchises, thanks to connections with another Widener alumnus, Hunter McGinnis ’17.
Proctor joined the Commanders in May 2023.
Likewise, Daniel built up his sport resume working for the hometown teams. He did freelance videography work for the Philadelphia Phillies, worked as a video producer for a nonprofit college access program, and briefly worked in sales.
But he never gave up on his dream to work in sports.
“I dreamed as a young man to play in the NFL. My dad played in the NFL for a couple years (with the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers), and I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for it,” said Daniel, who knew his destiny would be off the field, not on it.
And then Proctor reached out. The Commanders were expanding their production team and were looking for graphic design support. Proctor knew Daniel would be perfect for the role. He joined the Commanders in July 2023.
Your best friend and brother from college hits you up with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was fate." — Dakarai Daniel '19
Today, their team handles game presentation, a cross between TV broadcast and the live experience.
“Our job is the end result, making sure people are entertained,” said Proctor.
Looking back on their time at Widener, both men have learned some important lessons, especially when it comes to breaking into the sports production and entertainment world.
“Don’t give up,” said Proctor, who applied to 30 jobs when he graduated college. “Lean on connections. Seek internship opportunities. And go after where you see yourself.”
Adds Daniel: “There’s no one avenue to get to where you want. Try everything. If I didn’t do sales, I wouldn’t be as personable as I am.”
“And to anyone who thinks Widener is a small school and they should have gone to a big film school, the smaller schools give you better access. Because of Angie (Corbo), I worked with the Phillies and Andrew worked for the Eagles,” said Daniel.
Daniel and Proctor are in full football mode as the 2025-26 NFL season gets underway. Both men acknowledge that away from work, their sports allegiances lie elsewhere. Proctor, a Philadelphia native, is an Eagles fan; Daniel is a Giants fan and still laments having to deal with all those Birds fans roaming around campus when he was a student.
Beyond the personal though, when it comes to their work, the pair have their eyes on bigger prizes. Daniel says the goal for the team is not just another EMMY this year, but multiple awards. Last year was the team’s first time submitting for the award and they won – a huge boost to their drive.
“We create such stunning work, and it speaks to the people on the team,” said Daniel. “Plus it’s cool to know we can do it.”
