Behind the Season

It’s been a breakout season for New England Patriots Captain Marcus Jones—and for the Suffolk students and alumni who are helping to tell his remarkable story.  

Communication, Journalism & Media Lecturer and documentary filmmaker Dan Weidknecht, who also serves as Manager of the Production Program at Suffolk, keeps in close touch with alumni and often works with them on his own productions, including his 2023 film Roxbury. But when his former student Hannah Arroyo, BA ’20, now the community relations coordinator for the Patriots, reached out to him over the summer she had an assignment for him. She wanted him to follow cornerback and captain Marcus Jones throughout the 2025-26 season, digging deep into his personal story for what would become a series of YouTube videos and a documentary feature, Behind the Season. It was a challenging task, but Weidknecht agreed without hesitation. He knew he could rely on a dream team to help.  

He immediately got to work contacting current students and alumni, assembling a group of 40 professionals skilled in film production, each with a Suffolk connection. Weidknecht says that comes down to trust. 

“At Gillette Stadium, at home, out in the community with the players’ wives and girlfriends, we’ve had an incredible level of access. Sometimes we just have to drop everything and go, so I need a large group and they all have to be solid,” says Weidknecht. 

Using skills they first learned in the University’s on-campus production facilities, including Studio 73, the Suffolk crew have run cameras, assisted with interviews, perfected lighting and sound, and spent hours in post-production to create content for the team’s massive international fan base—and one special client.

Weidknecht says Jones isn’t a typical subject, and not just because he’s an elite athlete whose games are viewed by millions of fans every week. He’s also a content production enthusiast who knows his way around an editing bay. “So he knows a lot of the gear and techniques we’re using, which adds another layer to how on point our crew has to be as we work and deliver our final product,” says Weidknecht.  

Weidknecht and his crew have documented Jones’s steady rise this season, from being voted team captain out of training camp, to being named AFC Defensive Player of the Month in October. Now, thanks to their work, fans can see just what it takes behind the scenes to make that happen.  

Catch it: 

• View the trailer. 
• See the Suffolk student project mentioned on Good Morning America's segment on Marcus Jones. 
• Watch portions of their documentary during ESPN’s pregame coverage on December 1.