Sam Longenberger

I don't watch sports the way most people do — I've always been the kid memorizing stats and breaking down plays instead of chasing the highlight reel. That passion turned into a plan the night I met Ernie Johnson at an Indiana Pacers playoff game. He brought me on stage, let me hold the microphone, and told me to be the hardest working person in the room. I've been working toward that ever since — training at four university sports media programs for high school students: Cronkite at Arizona State, Newhouse at Syracuse, SportsLink at Ball State, and the High School Journalism Institute at Indiana University. I shoot sideline photography, conduct on-camera interviews, develop feature stories, and create social media content — because at the end of the day, I want to tell the stories behind the games, not just report the score. I'm also a four-year varsity cross country and track athlete, and this year I'm leading my high school's sports media program into its second year as social media leader