NFLPA Rookie Premiere · Los Angeles
NFLPA Rookie Premiere Jersey Reveal
I photographed the Fanatics Jersey Reveal at NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles two years running, 2023 and 2024. Rookie Premiere is where a new class starts working through the business side of professional football. The jersey reveal is the evening inside it when each player sees his name and number on his own NFL jersey for the first time.
I photograph the room before anyone is in it, and I stay through the last set. More on how I photograph brand activations.
The build
The room before anyone is in it
Inside the ballroom, Brand Activation Services builds a showcase: a lit wall of shields, a jersey for every rookie on its own plinth, a floor logo, and a lighting rig set for the moment the doors open. I photograph the crew finishing it, then the room clean and empty. Once the players walk in, the space will never look quite like that again.
Arrival
Before anyone sees a jersey
Players check in against a wall of name medallions, get a wristband, and walk a red carpet in front of the Fanatics and NFLPA wall. Out on the deck, rookies who spent last season competing against each other are at the same table, meeting brands and partners at the beginning of their NFL careers, and talking with players who have already done it. One of the quietest frames from 2024 is J.J. McCarthy in conversation with Michael Vick.
The reveal
Then they walk in
A few words, then the drape drops and the whole class comes in at once with phones already up, while Quavo performs on the floor with them.
The moment
Seeing the name for the first time
After that it’s a scramble. Everyone looks for their own name, pulls teammates over, films each other, hands a phone to whoever is closest. Some stand in front of a jersey for a while and just look at it.
In 2024 that included two Vikings rookies. J.J. McCarthy got his first look at a purple number 9. Dallas Turner shared it with his father, Delon.
The year before, the first-round quarterbacks of the 2023 class ended up behind their jerseys together: Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, a month into knowing where they were going.
Around them
The rest of the room is working
While that happens, the event is doing its job. Cameras mounted on the stands record each first look. Sports Illustrated runs interviews along the wall. Content crews work the room, and I work alongside Jonathan Ehlers and Mikey Smith on video, the same pair from the Super Bowl weeks. The photographs have to hold the feeling and the machine at the same time.
The night
Quavo, both years
Quavo performed in the jersey room both years, on the same floor logo the class had walked in on.
Related work
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the Fanatics Jersey Reveal?
The evening during NFLPA Rookie Premiere when Fanatics and the NFLPA unveil each rookie’s official NFL jersey for the first time, in a room built for it. Rookie Premiere itself runs several days in Los Angeles and covers the business side of a rookie’s first year.
Who photographed the Fanatics and NFLPA jersey reveal?
I did, in 2023 and 2024, hired both years by Brand Activation Services, the company that builds the environment. Coverage runs from the room being finished through arrival, the reveal, the rookies with their jerseys, the media around them, the pool deck and the performance.
How fast can you deliver?
Whatever the job needs. The Rookie Premiere jersey reveal and the Tom Brady Make-A-Wish event were both same-day edits. On Super Bowl weeks I’ve sent first selects inside 24 to 48 hours, and when there’s no rush the full gallery comes on a standard timeline. Tell me the deadline and I’ll build around it.
Do you photograph the build as well as the event?
Yes. On activations like this I photograph the space while it’s being finished and again empty before doors, then the same space in use. That gives the production team the finished environment and the experience in use.
What other work have you done with Brand Activation Services?
Four consecutive Super Bowl weeks for Nike, Fanatics and NFL Shop, from the build-outs to game day. See the Super Bowl work.
Do you work with athletes and talent?
Yes. Rookies, veterans, performers and executives are all part of a room like this, and the job is to photograph them naturally without interrupting the moment. See the Tom Brady Make-A-Wish event.
Let’s work together
Got an event like this coming up?
Whether it’s an athlete event, a brand activation or a multi-day production, I’d love to hear about it. Send the date, the city, and what you’re producing. I’ll respond within 24 hours.
Get in Touch or email directly: jackson@jacksontylereddy.com