The 2026 NFL Draft spectacle has departed from its gracious host city of Pittsburgh, with little to no fanfare — unlike its arrival several months ago. Only small remnants scattered around the North Shore and downtown remain, providing a glimpse of the major multiday event that took place a scant few weeks ago. Commuters were catapulted into endless weeks of mass hysteria, spiking the blood pressure of thousands as their navigational skills were pushed to the brink traveling to work.
Numerous topics pertaining to this marquee event have been discussed by those in the public, private and professional ranks. More than likely various items will continue to be the topic of conversation presumably up until next year’s 2027 NFL Draft. We’ll see a plethora of critiquing by the powers that be in the NFL offices in New York City and beyond with reference to what was done appropriately and what aspects of the event need to be expounded upon all in under a year.
Two separate elements surround major events in the worlds of sports, politics and entertainment today — security and social media. Be patient, I’ll elaborate. Security is paramount in everyone’s mind. With tensions as they are in every facet of life, the safety and well-being of attendees are front and center. Social media goes without saying, as everyone regardless of age has a cellphone and is more than happy to press the record button at any given moment.
Those two aforementioned topics MUST be on the NFL Security Division’s radar under the heading of “Extremely Urgent” in its debriefing of this year’s draft event and subsequent meetings moving forward.
Security, as expected at this year’s draft, was exceptional as it should have been. Uniformed officers and agents from a wide variety of agencies made their presence known along with city and state mounted divisions capable of getting through and dispersing a crowd of unruly people quickly and effectively. Plainclothes units and tactical sharpshooters positioned strategically went unseen to the naked eye. The airspace around the event was restricted with flight paths being rerouted as security drones patrolled that off-limits airspace. The amount of money spent on security by a host of agencies is simply mind-boggling.
All that being said, my question is how? How, how, how did a major security breach take place all in the name of social media to garnish nothing more than clicks and views done by a presumed “influencer”?
In the event that what I’m about to share was unbeknownst to you, I totally understand as it was only a blip on the radar in TV news and talk radio coverage prior to it becoming “Old News.” However, the storyline is far-reaching and should continue to be dissected on a regular basis and not swept under the rug after having its moment.
For those of you who know me and those of you who subscribe and follow this publication, then you know I’ve been a member of the working media, mainly as a photographer, for the last 38 years. As you can imagine, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to be credentialed to a host of major events in all the major sports. The process to gain access for media coverage is a long grueling road regardless of the event. The bigger the event. the more detailed the application process gets, diving into the validity of not only your publication, but you as an individual.
This endeavor goes back 38 years ago as I started my career when paper credentials were issued by the host with your name and event date written in a bold pen or Sharpie, which was validated with your state driver’s license. Since my tenure has evolved, so has the credentialing system by all of the sports entities in reference to preseason, regular and postseason championship events. Having photographed events including Super Bowls, World Series and All-Star games, Stanley Cup Finals, World Cup Soccer, PGA Golf, boxing and more, I appreciate the credentialing process.
Most media credentials are now laminated plastic and contain all the essential information such as your name, title and agency, and feature your recent photo and barcode for the event. Those credentials implement a series of checks and balances and immediately alert the security personnel stationed at designated entry points of any issues with you or said credential.
Upon initial entry to the event, the barcode is scanned to activate your credential. Next your face goes up to the camera to activate your facial recognition for the remainder of the work day at the event. This is a much-needed aspect of your credential and it allows you to move freely through secured areas as the event host can track all your movement throughout the entire venue. Trust me when I tell you they most certainly watch your every move through alerts and on-camera surveillance.
All that being said, let’s get to the main point of this column — the draft security breach, with many employees paid or volunteer sharing in the blame. Total incompetence by so many people and agencies.
As previously asked, how did this happen?
For those of you who were previously unaware, a person by the name of Fred Beyer, known only to his social media followers, violated NFL policy and breached all that high-tech security at the draft’s restricted and main stage areas. Beyer is a YouTuber and self-proclaimed “prankster,” which his followers attest to. I don’t know how much money his YouTube channel makes him, nor do I care. He is nothing more than a total social media fool with his intent being how many clicks his account can generate. In the event you were wondering, his latest so-called prank garnered 700,000 of them.
This fool documented his exploits for 20 minutes in a video on his channel filmed by people in his so-called entourage who followed every detail. If you so desire, feel free to Google his name and watch the video yourself. It made this media member sick to his stomach.
I’ll give you an overview in the event you have no interest in the video.
Fake credentials: Beyer created counterfeit NFL staff passes. He documented the process of taking images of authentic passes hanging around real employees’ necks and then proceeded to a local Staples store to manufacture on a Photo Shop computer program fraudulent credentials complete with his picture and barcode.
Stunt: Beyer successfully breached security and backstage areas making it onto the main stage in the attempt to announce a fake draft pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ran in front of a bewildered current Steeler defensive lineman, Cam Heyward, who was approaching the microphone to announce the legitimate Steelers pick to the massive crowd.
Consequence: Beyer was cut off by the production crew, his microphone was silenced and he was escorted off the stage by security, then turned over to local Pittsburgh Police uniformed officers. He was later charged by police with criminal trespass.
NFL Ruling: The league issued Beyer a lifetime ban. He is prohibited leaguewide from attending any NFL game, event or function in any city for the rest of his life. He was served a letter of intent from NFL Security on site, which he willingly signed and took effect immediately.
To further slap the faces of everyone involved, this fool — as he was escorted off the Acrisure Stadium property — stopped and posed for cellphone images. Two uniformed members of the Pittsburgh Police Bureau while on duty as part of the event detail complied. A male and female officer each posed for a picture with Beyer. What happens to the pair of uniformed officers in this incident? Disciplinary action forthcoming after an official inquiry? That remains to be seen.
One word describes the entire chain of events that April night on the North Shore: UNBELIEVEABLE!
The outright blatant security breach that took place on the North Shore inside the stadium restricted areas and subsequently the main stage of the 2026 NFL Draft absolutely pushed my mental stability to the proverbial brink.
First and foremost, the ONLY charge I agree with is the Lifetime NFL Ban. As for the charge of criminal trespass, are you kidding me? There should be a host of other charges. How about falsification of documents for starters? Forgery? The list should have been lengthy at the very least and the most serious of charges had they been filed are felony charges.
With the world as it is today, terrorists, protesters, shooters and people who feel they are in search of truth and righteousness strive to make a name for themselves or their group or cause. It has been that way forever in all corners of the world. If you don’t think the rest of world’s bad guys were observing and taking notes, then you are sadly mistaken. The only advice I can offer you is to stay diligent and be aware of your surroundings. If it was this easy for this idiot to make a mockery of security, imagine what an organized, well-funded person or group could have pulled off. I shudder at the thought of so much potential damage and loss of life.
Numerous people need to be held accountable and shoulder the blame for this massive security flaw at a major event. In football terminology, the ball was fumbled and it took entirely too long to be recovered by any team member.
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