ARKANSAS, USA — When the Eagles and Chiefs kick off Super Bowl LVII in Arizona there may not be a Razorback on the field, but the University of Arkansas will still be represented.
Anna Tobkin is the lead producer for the Kansas City Chiefs and a proud Arkansas Razorback.
“I just grew up around Arkansas,” Tobkin said. “I was going to Arkansas for homecoming every single year since I was a kid. It was all I knew.”
The Dallas native followed in her parents' and grandparents' footsteps by attending the U of A, where she got her start in TV production with the Razorback Sports Network.
“I fell in love with it,” Tobkin said. “I loved the live production side, the adrenaline of doing live TV.”
The experience she gained at Arkansas, helped Tobkin land a job with the Chiefs after graduation.
In Kansas City, she coordinates what fans see on the big board during games at Arrowhead.
“Our goal is to create memories for fans,” Tobkin said. “And while I’m not the one playing football, I enhance that memory with the content we put out there.
Tobkin has been with the Chiefs since 2017, and before this year, had already been to two Super Bowls with the team.
At this year’s AFC Championship against the Bengals, she sensed she could be heading for a third.
“I kind of decided on a whim to set up my phone on the last drive,” Tobkin said.
The Chiefs beat the Bengals on a last-minute field goal, and Tobkin captured all the behind-the-scenes action in the control room.
She shared the footage on social media and got a huge reaction, with the video being viewed over 175,000 times on Twitter.
“People have reacted so so well to it, it’s been really, really fun,” Tobkin said.
The video also served to inspire others who want to follow in her footsteps.
“I’ve gotten so many reactions from women that work in the industry that are saying seeing me do that is inspiring to them. It’s telling them that there are roles for women that aren’t traditionally women-held roles.”
Now, Tobkin is heading to the big game for a third time when she goes to Super Bowl LVII.
“Kind of around the clock is preparing content to play there and also just providing them (the NFL) any of the videos, pictures, audio, whatever they need to create the atmosphere in Arizona,” Tobkin said.
Come game day, she’ll get to get to switch out the control room for the stands, getting to enjoy the game as a fan.
“Being a fan is a different experience for me but it is so much fun,” Tobkin said. “It’s really a celebration of the work we put in throughout the whole year.”
She hopes Sunday has one more big celebration in store.
“The Eagles are an amazing team,” Tobkin said. “I think it’s going to be back and forth really until the end, but of course, I’ve got the Chiefs.”