Football Mugs

Each year, in the lead up to high school football season, the sports guys and myself travel to the 12 schools in our coverage area and stock up on mug shots. These are simple, head-and-shoulders pics of each team's top athletes, destined to accompany sports stories throughout the season. If a kid does an outstanding job, we throw his mug in the paper. I love these photos. There's something so honest about them. Even when the kids are doing their best to be intimidating (sometimes successfully) there's a depth to them that I find really compelling. The trouble is, out of the hundreds I've shot over the years, the only venue is the newspaper. They run an inch long and are footnotes to stories. What a perfect post for the digital medium! Here are some I chose almost at random. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

More From the Press' Last Days

The press crew, from left, Press Operators Mike Hamilton, Pressroom Manager Dave Marlow and Press Operators Steven Steuermann and John Volkert.

In distribution, Marshall Harris and Jacqueline Westerfield