The Super Bowl is what every team works toward in the NFL. And it’s what many sports media members across the country work toward to cover every year. For Waynesburg University alumnus John Lydic, this dream became a reality.

In October, Lydic was approached with an opportunity to cover Super Bowl LII for television station WICU, Erie News Now.Since September, Lydic was waiting to hear from the NFL if he would get access as an NBC affiliate to cover the game. That confirmation came with the new year, and Lydic left for Minneapolis Jan. 28. 

There were many stories Lydic covered, including the story of Nate Solder, an offensive tackle for the Patriots, who survived cancer. Solder also had to cope with his child having cancer. But the stories Lydic claims he enjoyed were about three players from the Philadelphia Eagles team.“Vinny Curry, the defensive end, wears number 75,” said Lydic.

“He wears it because he went to Marshall University, and he wears 75 for the Marshall 75 that died in the plane crash.” The other story Lydic favored was about two offensive players. Running back Jay Ajayi and wide receiver Nelson Agholor are both from different countries. Agholor is from Lagos, Nigeria, and Ajayi is from London, England.Although the Super Bowl can be the peak of media coverage and a media career, a problem Lydic found was the number of stories he had to cover.

“You build it up all those years as a fan that it’s going to be this big aurora, this big fantastic moment, and I guess the stage itself for the players and others was great, but I was turning in five to six packages and one-minute packages a day,” said Lydic. “Not only do you have to get that out, [you also do] a morning package and a noon package and then a live shot at 11, with a 10 and 11 package.

”The whole week, Lydic was alone getting interviews, footage, and between then, he was editing all of the material himself.As a former member of the Waynesburg University Department of Communications, Lydic was able to call sports games, write for the Yellow Jacket and have WCYJ radio air shifts. Looking back at his time at Waynesburg,

Lydic credited a lot of the success he has had to the opportunities he received at his alma mater.“I will say it from this stand point: at 24 years old, I never thought I would have the opportunity to cover my first Super Bowl,” said Lydic, “I guess it turns back to my experiences and work I got down at Waynesburg to get to a job like this and to really be where I wanted to be in my career.

Early on, from a career stand point, it was a magical moment getting to do that at a young age.”