For the second time this semester, Rowan University welcomed back one of its thriving alumni as a special guest at Pizza with the Pros.

First, it was Savannah Bananas In-Game Host and Rowan alum Matt Graifer, who became the inaugural Pizza with the Pros guest of the 2024 fall semester. Now, returning as Director of Broadcasting and Production at the University of Pennsylvania, Sean Kelly took center stage on Monday, Oct. 14. 

“I’m glad to be back,” said Kelly in the opening moments. 

After graduating from Rowan in 2020, Sean Kelly previously served as president of Rowan Television Network (RTN) and was once the executive producer for RTN Sports while also interning at NFL Films. 

After discussing his choice of attending Rowan University over Temple to avoid out-of-state tuition, Sean Kelly immediately got involved with RTN, where he fell in love with production. It was also during that time when Kelly learned how to manage a team as the club’s president, which proved itself a valuable experience for what he does today at the University of Pennsylvania.

When applying for an internship with NFL Films as a Rowan student, Sean Kelly had little to no football expertise. 

“I knew three NFL players,” Kelly said. “They were all quarterbacks.” 

However, he did not let his lack of NFL knowledge stop him. He promised that he would be the “hardest worker in the class” and would do whatever it took to improve his craft. 

Despite his inexperience with the sport, he got the position. 

“I think what kind of set me apart was the boldness of being different than everybody else,” said Kelly. “I cared about the production aspect more than anything and I was obsessed with doing the greatest job possible.”

This surprising development from Sean Kelly caught the attention of Logan Stewart, a junior Sports Communication and Media transfer student. 

“It was just an amazing story,” said Logan. “[He had] no interest in sports whatsoever, but you can see his dedication towards production.”

Near the end of his time as a Radio Television and Film (RTF) major at Rowan University, Sean Kelly was presented with the possibility of working with the Philadelphia Eagles and the WWE. However, Kelly was struck a blow when these jobs quickly vanished once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which thrust him into a different direction post-graduation. 

Kelly ended up applying for an NFL job in Los Angeles, where he joined the NFL digital media team for four seasons before eventually finding his way back home. 

Since March of this year, Sean Kelly has been tasked with overseeing all sports production at UPenn, streaming on ESPN+. In addition to production, he also handles the crew, equipment, design, finances, and more. 

At UPenn, Sean Kelly has many Rowan faces at his disposal, including his Assistant Director, Andrew Jurski, a recent Sports CaM graduate. 

“We are the director, the producer, the audio director on every single shoot, which is why I rely very heavily on my freelancers,” Kelly said.  

Sure enough, Kelly’s freelancers were seen in decent numbers among the audience Monday night, such as Julian Mazzarelli, a senior at Rowan who majors in both RTF and Sports CaM. Mazzarelli works in video production at UPenn. 

“If Sean wasn’t there, I probably wouldn’t be working up there right now,” said Mazzarelli. “He always gives me great advice, tells me what I need to do, what I’m doing good, what I’m not doing good, so [he’s a] great mentor.”

Sean Kelly offered key advice to student attendees, encouraging them to take as many opportunities as possible while always being dedicated, passionate, and reliable. 

“I like someone who is reliable, and Rowan taught me that,” said Kelly. 

Next week, with hockey season underway, Pizza with the Pros will host Philadelphia Flyers play-by-play broadcaster Jim Jackson in Bozorth Hall’s King Auditorium.

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