MLB Hall of Famer Randy Johnson goes viral with “Big Unit” lens on NFL sidelines
Randy Johnson, the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball great, was pictured at an NFL match. However, he was not there as a guest of honor or at any ceremonial function. Nor was he there to commentate on behalf of a sports channel. He wasn't called in by a coach to give inspirational lessons to their charges. Instead, obscured until he went viral, he was there as an NFL sideline photographer.
learned today that randy johnson is now a professional photographer (??) and shoots nfl games (???) https://t.co/P714LxY6hH
This is not his first assignment as he had worked the lenses in a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers before in 2015. But one could have assumed he was there because of his connection to the city of Seattle.
Look who it is on the #SFvsSEA sidelines... the BIG UNIT!!! @Mariners Randy Johnson
Photo by @kristiwaite #Q13FOX https://t.co/xTL86nfl4V
The NFL is also not the only sport he has shot for. NASCAR has also been lucky to have him on the sidelines.
Tuesday vibe: Randy Johnson in his second life as a NASCAR photographer https://t.co/6MaOjCrgeE
Randy Johnson and his story from photography to baseball and back
Randy Johnson is synonymous with fast pitches and deadly accuracy. Nicknamed "The Big Unit" due to his 6'10" frame, he played for 22 years in the MLB and retired at the age of 46 in 2010. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015. Johnson was a 10-time All-Star, 5-time Cy Young Award Winner and 2001 World Series Champion and MVP. With that resume, one would expect him to sit in a booth commentating on the latest MLB games or coaching a team.
But Randy Johnson famously stated on his website that while baseball was his occupation, photography was his passion. He studied photojournalism between 1983-85 at USC. Such was his passion that he enrolled in the course despite being selected out of high school by the Atlanta Braves in 1982. It was from this college course that he was drafted into the MLB in 1985. As soon as he retired from baseball, he transitioned back into photography. His website still alludes to 51, his playing number while in baseball.
This is seriously his logo… Incredible. twitter.com/sophiekleeman/… https://t.co/czzk1cmCg7
His website logo features a dead bird with feathers askew. It's a recreation of the iconic moment where his pitch killed a bird who had chosen that inopportune moment to fly in front of him.
Randy Johnson annihilates a bird in a spring training game, 2001 https://t.co/tgVFdpCAat
You may have thought that a famous player like Randy Johnson would limit himself to esoteric photographs and amazing locations. But as it turns out, he has really taken up the grind. He seems to enjoy being an NFL sideline photographer. Thinking about it, capturing iconic moments and the atmosphere of games must be quite the experience.