About Jack
I spend my days telling stories—through film, photography, writing, teaching, and occasionally enjoying a good glass of wine or whisky. This site is where all of those interests come together.
The Road Here
From Sports to Filmmaking
In 1999, I won ESPN’s NFL Draft Challenge, predicting the first 15 selections of that year’s NFL Draft better than more than 45,000 other entrants.
At the time, I was a junior in college, restless and trying to figure out what came next. I knew I could write, but I also knew I didn’t have much life experience—or much of a point of view. So I combined my writing experience with my draft prediction, mailed them to every NFL team, and hoped someone would take a chance on me.
The Washington Redskins did.
I spent the 1999 season as a game-day intern before joining the organization full-time as an intern in 2000. That opportunity launched a career that would keep me in professional sports for nearly two decades.
My goal had always been player personnel. After working in public relations, I earned a scouting internship with the San Diego Chargers in 2003, giving me a front-row seat to one of the most memorable drafts in NFL history—the Eli Manning–Philip Rivers trade.
From there, I spent four seasons in the Arena Football League, eventually becoming Director of Player Personnel for the Arizona Rattlers at age 29 while simultaneously serving as the team’s Public Relations Director.
Those experiences would eventually become the inspiration for my television pilot, TURF.
Ironically, Arena Football also introduced me to filmmaking… sort of.
While working for the San Jose SaberCats in 2006, I was unexpectedly put in charge of the team’s video department. I had no idea what I was doing, but within a year our scouting reports were unlike anything else in the league. Later, while working in professional tennis, I expanded those video editing skills into commercials, in-game entertainment, and promotional video production.
Somewhere along the way, my passion for storytelling came roaring back.
My first short film was accepted into the Maryland International Film Festival. My fourth, Celtic Cross, screened at more than 30 film festivals across six continents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, five years after leaving sports, I wrote, directed, produced, and edited my first feature film, Mama Duck, alongside my creative partner, Shannon Walsh.
Today I’m based in Northeast Ohio, where I’m developing a slate of feature films and television projects, teaching screenwriting through the City of Mentor, and building several businesses focused on filmmaking, photography, and web design.
Because after all those years, I’ve realized the common thread wasn’t sports or film.
It was always storytelling.
These Days...
Filmmaking
Developing film and television projects while consulting with independent filmmakers on scripts, editing, and production.
Writing
Writing about film, sports, travel, wine, and the stories that connect them, and screenplays and TV projects.
Photography
Capturing landscapes, architecture, and everyday moments that tell stories without words.
Teaching
Leading screenwriting classes and workshops that help writers develop stronger stories and find their own creative voice.