In March 2023, student Tyrik Hutchinson-Junior ‘23 (Journalism) gave an interview for the Blaze Review, a media platform centered around sports, music and entertainment. He mentioned he hoped to one day be a part of a professional sports league, such as the NBA or NFL. Within a year and a half of graduating, Hutchinson-Junior now finds himself doing just that as social media coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
Hutchinson-Junior started with the Lions as a social media intern, and in May 2024 began full-time in the newly created role of social media coordinator. Recently, a video he produced for the team was aired on the NFL’s network show “Good Morning Football.”
As the social media coordinator, he posts clips from team practices, press conferences and games, and crafts content that adheres to recent trends. During the competition season, he travels with the team, but there is no shortage of responsibilities during the offseason.
“The wheels never stop turning,” he said.
Hutchinson-Junior said one of the most surprising parts of his job is the interaction with the players.
“If you’re a big sports fan, you see these guys on TV every weekend, and then you’re in the building with them. It’s surprising to see that a lot of the guys are really cool and super easy to approach,” Hutchinson said.
During his second year at Ohio State, Hutchinson-Junior started “Halftime Hoops,”an Instagram account focused on the NBA. Halftime Hoops, which now has 24,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, is what he believes sets him apart from other candidates.
“I guess I kind of found a passion for social media,” said Hutchinson-Junior. “Coming into school, I never saw it as a possible career field.”
During his undergraduate career, Hutchinson-Junior was unsure of his future.
“I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he said, “but I wanted to find a way to work in sports.”
He initially struggled to see a path into a career in sports that made sense for him.
"Whether it’s playing, coaching, strength and conditioning, [Halftime Hoops] was kind of a door opening for me because I didn’t really see the world of sports past that,” he said.
At Ohio State, Hutchinson-Junior worked with the football team, creating content covering the team for The Lantern across all social platforms. He also produced content for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ socials as their digital media intern.
During his time as an undergraduate, he was also a mentee of School of Communication Professor Lanier Holt, through his Holt Official Watch List (H.O.W.L.) program. This program, targeted at students of underrepresented groups, helps them to gain admission into postgraduate programs or to be successful in the professional world upon graduation.
See more of Hutchinson-Junior’s work by following the Detroit Lions' social channels on X, Facebook and Instagram
Article by student Paige Hollowell
