Arts and Entertainment

Award-winning alumnus and respected storyteller returns to campus Jan. 28

Penn State alumnus Bob Angelo worked for NFL Films for 43 years before retiring in 2018. Credit: NFL Films. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State alumnus who crafted an Emmy Award-winning career with NFL Films will return to campus to meet with students, share his experiences and present a free public lecture in late January.

Bob Angelo, who worked for NFL Films for 43 years before retiring in 2018, will discuss his work and participate in a question-and-answer session at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, in 262 Willard Building. The event is sponsored by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.

Angelo brought a variety of skills to the company in many roles. He was a senior producer and producer who wrote, directed and edited much of his own work. He was also a standout videographer, shooting more than 830 NFL games — including 40 Super Bowls.

Angelo earned his journalism degree in 1974 and a year later started working for the company that in many ways created sports documentaries and certainly invented the cinematic manner in which such stories are told. During his career, he edited dozens of team-specific annual videos, including 10 focused on his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.

Organizers of the event believe Angelo’s public session and visit provide an important opportunity for Penn State students interested in journalism, sports, visual storytelling and more. His experiences hold interest for a wider audience as well.

“Bob is someone who has mixed passion with an incredible work ethic and the results speak for themselves,” said John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of Curley Center. “I’m sure everyone who attends the lecture will be both impressed and entertained.”

The John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, created in 2003, completed its first sports documentary last year and the piece, “Quiet Sundays,” earned numerous awards and honors. The piece focuses on passionate NFL fans in Great Britain and was produced after a 10-day working trip to cover two NFL games at Wembley Stadium in 2017.

Last Updated June 2, 2021