From WMU to the NFL: Emmy-winning alum reflects on ‘transformational’ college experience
DETROIT—During the NFL regular season, the Detroit Lions play 17 games, and about 20 million people tune in to each one. Some sprawl on couches with snacks nearby; others pace nervously, waiting for the next big play. Win or lose, pretty or ugly, it’s football—one of our nation’s great unifiers.
Live sports, arguably one of the last vestiges of the monoculture, remain among the few experiences millions share at the same time. Working behind the scenes to capture those collective moments is Detroit Lions senior video producer and Bronco alumnus Max Hahn, B.A.’14.
Hahn has a job many dream of: turning touchdowns, goal-line stands and game-day greatness into cinematic stories for one of the NFL’s most exciting franchises.
“I work with a collection of talented producers,” he says. “We do all sorts of projects: covering games, making content for the stadium on game day, community service and creating products to promote the organization.”
It’s a job that requires equal parts humility and a hunger to succeed—characteristics that exemplify Hahn’s employer and were instilled in him during his time at Western Michigan University.
Finding his fit and his future
Hahn’s WMU story didn’t actually begin at WMU.
“I’m a transfer student,” he says. “At my previous institution, I was undecided. I finally found what interested me: audio and video recording. The teacher at the time said, ‘We don’t really have a program for that here, but a great school that does is Western.’ That week, I applied.”
It was a decision that forever changed the trajectory of his life, eventually leading Hahn from the computer-lined classrooms of Brown Hall to the sprawling sidelines of Ford Field, where his know-how put him in a position to lens breathtaking athletic feats.
After transferring, Hahn found his footing in both the School of Music and the School of Communication, where support from top-notch professors—such as Dr. Jennifer Machiorlatti, professor emerita, and John Campos, instructor of live sound and recording—empowered his personal growth.
“Dr. Mac [Machiorlatti] was so great about making sure we found out quickly if we loved this field,” he says. “John Campos was incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever been around a teacher who gave so much professional experience so early. He’s as good as they come, the best of the best.”
Hahn found a home with Bronco Insider, known now as Bronco Productions, Western’s in-house media production team, where he gleaned a great deal from colleagues who covered WMU sports. Hahn left an indelible mark on Bronco Insider as well, serving as a catalyst for its official name change.
“In 2015, I remember my coworker Will and I came up with the name Bronco Productions,” Hahn says, touting a bit of personal trivia.
Reflecting on his work with athletics, he says, “We were put in scenarios where we had to coordinate with coaches and operations staff, figure out scheduling for student-athletes and make profiles work around practice times.”
After graduation, Hahn worked full time for Bronco Productions and then spent four years at the University of Pittsburgh honing his craft before his big break.
In 2021, that break came with his home state’s Detroit Lions, a team that was on the precipice of something special. Since that time, not unlike his employer, Hahn has flourished.
And the Emmys go to …
While a senior video producer for the Detroit Lions may not receive the attention and accolades of the team or its star players, Hahn’s tenure with one of the NFL’s oldest teams has come with its fair share of high-profile projects and recognition.
A personal favorite for Hahn is The Open Video, a hype reel that plays at the stadium to fire up fans before kickoff. He also creates recaps, historical features and special projects such as “Lions Legends,” which showcases unheralded players from days past. His work has earned him eight Emmy Awards, including three in 2025.
For Hahn, the awards aren’t just about recognition; they’re the embodiment of a dream realized.
“When I started college, I never thought winning an award like that was possible. To be here now, working with such talented people, it’s surreal and something I’m deeply grateful for.”
A ‘transformational’ transfer
Now more than a decade into his career, and boasting a trophy case starting to bend at the middle, Hahn has an insatiable drive to improve that stems from an education that gave him the right tools, guidance and, in the parlance of his sport, playbook at exactly the right time.
“Experience-Driven Learning at Western shaped my career by giving me hands-on opportunities early,” Hahn says. “Whether it was working events, collaborating with teams or learning from professors who pushed us into real-world projects, those experiences built the foundation for everything I do today.”
Becoming a Bronco changed Hahn’s life—just as it has for many before him and many yet to come.
“Transferring to Western Michigan was the best decision I’ve ever made. Going to school there was transformational, and I’ll always be grateful to the people and lessons that shaped me.”
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