2012 SEC Media Days: The 6 People You Meet at College Football Media Day

The annual circus known as SEC Football Media Days will invade the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. next week.

If you've never been to SEC Media Days, it's an event unlike any other. The exhibit hall at the Wynfrey is directly upstairs from the hotel lobby, and accessible by an escalator where non-credentialed fans wait to catch a glimpse of their college football heroes.

Through the lobby is radio row, which is a narrow hallway littered with radio stations from around the Southeast. That hallway leads directly to the Riverchase Galleria Mall.

Now that we've established the lay of the land, what kind of people can you expect to meet at SEC Football Media Days? We examine in this slideshow.

The Shock Jock

This character isn't limited to radio hosts, although they are included in the category.

The shock jock can be anyone from the media who asks questions specifically designed to get a negative or shocking reaction from players or coaches.

Whether it be asking about Tim Tebow's virginity, egging Nick Saban on after he has discussed pimps or asking about recruits knowing that it's against NCAA rules for coaches to specifically name prospects, the shock jock knows no bounds.

Credit to him or her, because the shock jock is part of the reason that SEC Media Day is a circus—which is part of the reason it exists in the first place.

The First-Time Media Member

SEC Media Days is a fantastic experience, particularly for first-timers. It's a chance for younger media members to hobnob with people they've watched on television for years, follow on Twitter and ask questions to players and coaches that they've never met in real life.

You can spot the newbies from a mile away, though.

How? 

It's simple, because of the way that they dress.

Specifically, the absence of winter clothing.

SEC Media Days may take place in July, but the temperature inside the Wynfrey Hotel exhibit hall is cranked down to abnormally cold levels. Antarctica-like levels.

A suggestion on the credential for members to pack like they're going on a ski trip would be helpful...for everybody's sake.

The Obligatory Questioner

This character exists everywhere, but is more prominent when the star coaches are out in full force.

The obligatory questioner isn't afraid to ask the questions that need to be asked, knowing full-well that the coach or player he's asking will successfully dodge it with flying colors.

Whether it's asking about Urban Meyer's health after he retired and un-retired, or asking Gene Chizik about a closed-door conversation with NCAA vice president of enforcement Julie Roe Lach; this character isn't afraid to make coaches squirm.

Their questions rarely result in anything ground-breaking—particularly at SEC Media Days, when the whole college football world is watching—but the questions still need to be asked and the obligatory questioner has all of them in his or her back pocket.

The Autograph Seeker

The bottom of the escalator at the Wynfrey is a madhouse.

Particularly on the days in which Alabama and Auburn are making the rounds.

Radio row sits in a public area at the event, which means that coaches and players that head down to do radio interviews have to run the gauntlet in order to get there.

Security does attempt to prevent people from loitering in the lobby, but at times, mob-mentality takes over and the fans take control.

Fans want everything signed. From ticket stubs to programs to jerseys to helmets, the lobby of the Wynfrey looks more like an auction house than a hotel lobby.

The Professional Memorabilia Dealer

While the crowd in the lobby throws elbows, boxes out and does whatever it takes to get to coaches and players, on the periphery of the lobby you will find the professional memorabilia dealer.

This person makes his or her living selling after-market autographed items to fans on the Internet and in their shops. You can spot these people from a mile away, which is precisely why they give items to people that are more likely to catch the eye of players and coaches to get their items signed.

The professional memorabilia dealer lies in wait, hoping that the people working for him or her can slice through the crowd and get that item signed, leading to a big pay day.

The Fullback

The fullback position is a lost role in college football, but it thrives at SEC Media Days.

You won't see Auburn fullback Jay Prosch at the Wynfrey, but you will find people playing that role for every player and coach.

The fullback you see at Media Days is charged with plowing the road for coaches and players as they make their way through the sea of people, cameras and recorders in order to ensure that each participant is at his scheduled location at the proper time.

The fullback is often times a member of the media relations staff and/or a security guard employed by each university. The bigger the name, the bigger the fullback.

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