Breece: The Road Back
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Documentary: Long-Form
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
1JD Entertainment released Breece: The Road Back in October 2023 chronicling New York Jets Running Back Breece Hall’s road to recovery following a torn ACL suffered seven games into his rookie season. Hall, who was drafted by the Jets in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, was on pace to become the first rookie running back in team history to rush for 1,000 yards. 1JD Entertainment began following Hall’s recovery immediately after the star running back suffered the injury Week Seven in Denver. The series documents every step of his journey back to the field from a torn ACL injury, and features interviews with family members, former coaches, trainers, doctors, and teammates.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
Today, the growth of sports fandom starts with creating personalized digital content that engages fans of all ages. Breece: The Road back was created with the modern sports fan in mind, appealing to fandom while sparking motivation and drive. The docuseries pushes the envelope in storytelling, allowing viewers to go beyond the surface of Hall as an athlete and showcase another side of the star athlete battling adversity away from the spotlight. 1JD Entertainment set a new standard for fan engagement by providing access to spaces rarely visible in the industry, and to sharing the vulnerability and humanity behind one of the League’s best young players.
Objective
1JD Entertainment captured every key moment in Hall’s recovery, including his return to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in New Jersey 91-days post-surgery. The goal in creating Breece: The Road Back was to give fans a behind the scenes peak into Hall’s step-by-step recovery as he worked to be back in time for the team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Throughout the film fans see the moment Breece went down during the game, to his early beginning of football in Wichita, Kansas and making it the NFL. In the early scenes, the docuseries includes interviews with New York Jets Senior Associate of Athletic training Bobby Daplyn and Head Athletic Trainer David Zuffelato to give a more educated insight on the injury he endured. 1JD also traveled to Hall’s alma maters Northwestern High School and Iowa State University to interview with his former Head Coaches Steve Martin and Matt Campbell for fans learn about his drive for football before going pro.
With authentic storytelling viewers also get a grasp of the close relationship Hall has with his mother LaRhonda McDaniel and sister Naria Hall, who has been with him in his journey to being the best back in Jets history.
Strategy & Execution
The strategy in creating the docuseries was to relate Hall’s comeback to fans on a personal level. Over the course of the docuseries, 1JD Entertainment showcases the emotions a player goes through while recovering, from minor victories to walking without crutches, to major victories like returning to practice. Hall’s high school and college coaches, along with his family, friends and teammates, help share his story from a unique perspective, and provide insight into his drive and motivation to return to the field.
The series drives home the passion and pride Hall has for the sport, helping to relate to fans who have persevered through a similar injury or adversity themselves. The documentation of Hall’s recovery process provided fans motivation for their own lives, and garnered excitement around one of the team’s stars.
Organizations
- The New York Jets
Links
Featured
- Breece Hall
Credits
Eric Gelfand
Senior Vice Communication & Content
New York Jets
Jared Winley
Vice President Communications
New York Jets
Seth Bradley
Director, Feature Productions and Original Programming
New York Jets
Dan Szpakowski
Director, Content and Production
New York Jets
Chris Ubbens
Director Production Operation
New York Jets
Frank Lazar
Coordinator, Creative Brand Production and Cinematographer
New York Jets
Pablo Mondragon
Coordinator, Content and Production
New York Jets
Bobby Dougherty
Producer/ Editor
New York Jets
William Hahn
Producer/ Editor
New York Jets
Brett Kosinski
Producer/ Editor
New York Jets
Austin Seabolt
Associate Producer, Feature Programming
New York Jets
Sarah Conti
Production Assistant
New York Jets
Keira Kinney
Graphic Designer
New York Jets
Chloe Stafford
JD Films Seasonal Production Assistant
New York Jets
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
