Why He’s Interesting: If you’ve seen our Instagram on Cleveland Browns gameday, you’ve seen Starkey’s work. Both stylish and momentous, his shots capture the mood and emotion of any given Sunday.
Hitting It Big: During a game against the Denver Broncos, Starkey was tracking wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who’d just broke free down the sidelines. Unfortunately, Starkey didn’t see safety Justin Simmons coming with a full head of steam and took an NFL-sized shot to the gut. The photographer shook it off, but the video of the nationally televised play went viral. “I was getting so many texts from people I went to high school with, tweets, the NFL posted me on Instagram. The phone was useless there for a day or so.”
Book It: Despite his artistry, Starkey views his role first and foremost as the team’s documentarian. “I see my role as being team historian first.”
Growing Up: Far from the roaring stadiums, Starkey fell in love with photography while shooting birds in the peaceful Florida wetlands near his childhood home. Before the end of high school, however, he was already working with Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC. “Get out and shoot as much as possible,” he tells beginners wanting to follow his footsteps. “Like any skill, there’s no way around putting in your 10,000 hours.”
Opportunity Strikes: After his sophomore year at Ohio University, Starkey took an internship with the Kansas City Chiefs. When he was offered the job in Cleveland, he didn’t hesitate leaving college to take it. “I couldn’t count on getting that opportunity again. I always wanted to work in the NFL. There are only 32 teams and not even everyone in the team photographer. These roles are few and far between. People don't really leave them too often once they get them.”
What’s Up: In Kansas City, Starkey watched quarterback Patrick Mahomes do things “we’ll never see again.” But when he arrived in Cleveland for an interview, he saw a different friendly face: Willoughby-native Kareem Hunt, who had earned rookie of the year in Kansas City and was interviewing for a job in Cleveland. “I saw him in the parking lot, and we both looked at each other like Are we following each other around?”
KC BBQ: Hey pitmasters, Starkey is still looking for a spot to fill the brisket-sized hole in his heart left by Kansas City Barbecue. “There’s like 80 barbecue joints. I must have gone to 20. It lives up to the hype. My favorite was Oklahoma Joes, which is a little sandwich shop in a gas station. They have a sandwich called the Z-Man, which I would still put up there with anything.”
Great Outdoors: This Florida boy has fallen in love with Cleveland, especially the Metroparks. “I live in Berea within running distance of Rocky River Reservation, but I’ve been to at least 15 of them.”
Pregame Jitters: Gameday doesn’t look much different for Starkey than it does for Baker Mayfield. The pregame jitters are there, especially while waiting for a night game. He goes in with a gameplan, but it's quickly replaced by reacting to the unique situations of the 60-minute contest. “In the hotel all day, you have that nervous energy built up until the adrenaline hits when you’re on the field and hear the crowd. My whole year comes from 17 games, so there’s a lot riding on it for me. Just like the players, I compete against the other photographers in the league. I’m just excited to see what I can do each game day.”
Gear Up: On Sundays, Starkey stays strapped with three Nikon D500 DSLR cameras and more interchangeable lenses than he can count. “The main way for gameday is the 400 Prime. That’s the big one you guys see on TV. You’re pretty much stuck in the red zone, so having a long lens is really important because you need that extra reach. There’s no time during the game to switch lenses.”
Pressure Makes Diamonds: In the chaotic world of the NFL, Starkey gets along by keeping a cool head. “I try to be an easygoing person, especially in this high-stakes, fast-paced job. If you stress out too much about it, it’s going to be over before you have a chance to enjoy it. I think that cool-and-calm mindset goes throughout our organization and starts from the top with coach (Kevin Stefanski) and AB (general manager Andrew Berry).”
Muses and Models: From Baker Mayfield’s star power to Nick Chubb’s stoicism, the Browns make great subjects, Starkey says. But this year, Myles Garrett has been his favorite. “He's kind of just dominating right now. Any time my camera is on him, he's doing something crazy.”
