Today we’d like to introduce you to Noah Weiskopf.
Hi Noah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
On June 2nd, 2019, I vividly remember sitting in my front yard and thinking about what I should do. I came up with a random idea to start an Instagram account where I can express my opinion and talk about my favorite sports team, the Cleveland Browns. I have paid extremely close attention to the Browns throughout my whole life and had been to countless games as season tickets have been in the family since the 1940s. Sports had always been a passion of mine, so I began to start posting my opinions on my Instagram account while getting 10 likes from my closest family members and friends. I continued to post consistently, as it was something I enjoyed doing. The page continued to grow over a few years. My opinions started off being read by only a handful of people, which over time became hundreds, then thousands, and now tens of thousands. Over time, I realized that sports journalism was something I genuinely enjoyed doing, and I wanted to make a career out of this. While I still express my opinion from time to time on my Instagram page, I’ve transformed the page into a place where I can report the news. The page started off as “clebrownsnetwork,” then, on August 9th, 2021, I decided to grow my name on my page. I switched the name to “BrownsWithNoah.” The page gained more and more traction as I continued to post content and report on Browns news. At that time, most of the news I reported was second-hand, after other reputable reporters had broken it. I realized relatively far down the road that most NFL reporters do most of their work on Twitter, which I knew is somewhere I needed to be. I started a Twitter account and became very active on there as well as on Instagram. Fast forward to today, BrownsWithNoah on Instagram is at 14,000 followers. Once the account started to get popular, it led to countless opportunities in person as a media member. My first in-person event ever was when Jarvis Landry hosted a Celebrity Softball game, where I was able to be at the player interviews and behind the scenes. That is when it really hit me, like wow, I’m really here right now with the media. From that softball game until now, I have been on the field at many different Browns players’ events. From youth football camps with Odell Beckham Jr, Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward and Kareem Hunt to a fundraising event with Amari Cooper, it has been a dream come true to be able to speak to these players and be next to them. Transitioning from being a young kid, wanting pictures with these players, I never realized I would be able to be so calm standing next to them. It gets me so excited to realize that this is still only the beginning. When mentioning different events I’ve had the opportunity to cover on my Instagram page, I need to bring up arguably my favorite one of all. I had the opportunity to fly down to Montgomery, Alabama and cover now-former Browns linebacker Mack Wilson’s Celebrity Softball game with dozens of professional athletes in attendance. Now, I’m looking forward to another big step in my career, which is covering a Cleveland Browns training camp session as a member of the media this summer. While covering these events, I have developed a skill in photography. I am able to capture pictures for content on my Canon camera of the players and post them to my social media accounts. Over the years, I’ve also been able to meet just about all of the media members who cover the Browns currently. There are too many to name, but one person I’d like to point out is Cleveland.com Browns Beat reporter Dan Labbe, who I followed around for 3 weeks for my Senior project in high school. In August 2021, I began writing for DawgPoundDaily.com as a paid contributor, where I have the chance to cover the team and write articles. This summer, I am working with highly respected NFL Insider Jordan Schultz and helping him out while being able to soak in everything that he does so well. The best part about everything that I’ve done to this time is being able to truly grow friendships with the players, away from football. Like the media members, there are too many players to name specifically but I’d like to point out current New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson, former Browns offensive lineman Kendall Lamm and linebacker Montrel Meander for allowing me to talk to them along my journey on a consistent basis and grow a friendship with them, that I value beyond words. Something that I’ve already started that I want to continue in the future is focused on the breaking news side of sports journalism. I have made so many connections that I hope can one day lead to me having the opportunity to break news, which is something I have already done a bit of in my time as a Browns reporter. Now, I am entering my sophomore year of college at The Ohio State University as a journalism major and look forward to continuing my Browns reporting throughout college and then eventually as a job after school.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been slow but smooth. It was frustrating when I was working so hard on creating content and only having a small number of followers and getting almost no likes. But I kept with it and it is beginning to pay off. The other times where it is a struggle is when I go through periods of time where I am not doing anything other than reporting on Instagram and Twitter. For example, not being able to attend events and not being able to break news. Every so often there are some dry periods but overall, it has been a pretty smooth road for me so far. Of course, I get some hate on social media, but that has never affected me in any way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Cleveland Browns reporter who covers the Browns via Instagram and Twitter (@BrownsWithNoah) and DawgPoundDaily.com. I specialize in covering everything that happens around the organization. I’m most proud of the connections and friendships I have made through the media and with players. What I think sets me apart from others is my willingness to talk to anyone, including followers of mine. I think it is also important that I’m only 19 years old doing this sort of stuff while I’m still getting good grades.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think my hard work and dedication are a huge part of my success. I also think my willingness to walk up and talk to anybody has really helped me develop connections in this industry that will be crucial in my future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dawgpounddaily.com/author/nweiskopf/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownswithnoah/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrownsWithNoah
Image Credits
Noah Weiskopf
