can vividly remember the exhilaration of running onto the field this past weekend with the University of Pittsburgh football team, gimbal in hand, as more than 40,000 fans roared around him.

What happened next is a little hazier.

鈥淚 essentially blacked out on adrenaline for the first 10 minutes of game action,鈥� Henneman laughed.

It was Henneman鈥檚 first game day working on the sidelines for Pitt football 鈥� and a surreal introduction to his new role as the program鈥檚 assistant director of creative content.

The Elon alumnus was there to capture an up-close look at Pitt鈥檚 season-opening 59-14 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 5. Once the final whistle sounded, his responsibilities only grew. Henneman took the lead editing 鈥溾�� Pitt鈥檚 long-running video series that tells the story of a victory through behind-the-scenes content.

For Henneman, the assignment represented another milestone in a professional journey that has moved quickly.

His path to Pitt began shortly after his May 2025 graduation from Elon, where he majored in journalism and built a portfolio that stretched well beyond traditional reporting.

As a student, Henneman worked with Rising Phoenix and Elon Athletics video production. He also spent nearly two years interning with The Burlington School, chronicling its high-level prep basketball program. Following graduation, he continued sharpening his skills as a videographer with the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Those experiences ultimately led him to Pittsburgh.

In January, Henneman initially joined Pitt Athletics as an assistant director of video production, creating content across the university鈥檚 athletics programs. After six months, he accepted a position supporting Pitt football. But Henneman wasn鈥檛 quite ready to give up basketball.

He negotiated a hybrid role that allows him to remain the secondary video contact for Pitt men鈥檚 basketball.

鈥淚 couldn’t get myself to leave my basketball roots behind,鈥� Henneman said.

Being a major content contributor for both programs, he said, is a 鈥渄ream come true.鈥� It has also brought considerably more responsibility.

While the football staff was away during July, Henneman filmed basketball summer workouts, helped lead the rollout of new NIL initiatives for Pitt Athletics, and traveled to New York City to cover volleyball standout Olivia Babcock at the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

Then came football season.

When fall camp opened in August, Henneman鈥檚 days regularly stretched from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. He produced short-form content from daily practices and longer-form mic鈥檇-up features while documenting the weeks leading into the season.

“Practically living in the facility gave me an eye-opening perspective of the upper echelon of college athletics.”

鈥� Cap Henneman 鈥�25

Amid that demanding schedule came one of his biggest opportunities.

At the end of fall camp, Henneman spent a week shooting and editing the 鈥溾�� his first true 鈥減assion project鈥� since arriving at Pitt. The finished video was shown at the program鈥檚 kickoff luncheon and student bonfire pep rally, played on the stadium scoreboard before the season opener, and released on social media.

Creating a longer, storytelling-driven piece reminded Henneman of the projects he pursued at Elon.

鈥淚t was refreshing to create a storytelling-centric piece that I could be proud of,鈥� Henneman said.

That same approach carried into his first football Saturday.

After documenting Pitt鈥檚 season-opening victory, Henneman shifted almost immediately from capturing the story to assembling it. For 鈥溾�� he storyboarded the video and constructed its game-action sequences, working alongside colleagues who handled the introduction, graphics, color grading and sound effects.

There was also a tighter turnaround. The popular series, previously released on Wednesdays, was now due Monday.

鈥淒espite the lack of social life and free time that football season brings, I can confidently say I am doing something that I truly love,鈥� Henneman said. 鈥淚 feel like I have found my footing within the creative team, and look to keep improving as the season moves forward.鈥�

Monday, Sept. 23
5-7 p.m.
Condado
971 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222, 2ND FLOOR

Join fellow alumni and friends to welcome new alumni to the area! We will be providing appetizers and Elon swag. All alumni, guests and friends are welcome.

Please contact alumni@elon.edu with any questions.

Find event details and a registration link below:

Pittsburgh Service Outing with Sojourner House 

Date: Saturday, May 18

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Address: 7056 Kelly St. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208

If you have any questions, please reach out to Joe Ward, Senior Coordinator of Regional Alumni Engagement, at jward18@elon.edu. We hope to see you there! 

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and Elon gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local Elon graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

The Pittsburgh Alumni Chapter will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Pittsburgh Alumni Chapter #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 7, 5:30 p.m.
Bill’s Bar & Burger
1001 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit .

The Pittsburgh Alumni Club will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this banner day for Elon. 

Pittsburgh Alumni Club #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 8, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The Yard – Market Square
100 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Please contact Joe Ward, coordinator of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7424 or jward18@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit . 

 today to let us know you’re coming!

Free food will be provided by the alumni club. We hope to see you there!

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at jboozer@elon.edu with any questions.

The Pittsburgh Alumni Club will host an #ElonDay Birthday Bash as part of this global celebration.

Pittsburgh Alumni Club #ElonDay Birthday Bash
Tuesday, March 10
5:30 p.m.
Ten Penny
960 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, coordinator of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit elon.edu/elonday.

for more information, and use the link below to register.


Tuesday, April 14

6:00 p.m.

The Fairmont
510 Market Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Come early from 4-6 p.m. for happy hour specials, and we’ll get together for the games at 6:30 p.m. with appetizers provided by the alumni club. Come when you can and stay as long as you’d like to cheer on our teams! 

We will have a private space set aside for our group. No RSVP necessary. Just show up and bring a friend!