Jacob LaPaglia. {Courtesy}
At just 18 years old, former Marjory Stoneman Douglas football player Jacob LaPaglia is looking to make an impact on South Florida sports from the other side of the sideline.
LaPaglia, who graduated in 2026, is the founder of Big Exposure Athletics, a sports media platform created to provide greater exposure for high school athletes throughout South Florida. The idea came from his own experience as an athlete at MSD, where LaPaglia saw talented players struggle to receive the same attention as some of their peers.
“There’s talent on every field, but the cameras only point at a few kids,” LaPaglia said. “Everyone else is just as good, and nobody’s shooting them. That’s the gap I wanted to close.”
LaPaglia began bringing a camera to games and photographing athletes, eventually developing Big Exposure Athletics into much more than game-day photography. Along with photos and videos, the platform produces final-score graphics, player spotlights, rankings, and recruiting news designed to highlight athletes and their accomplishments.
“The camera’s the front end, but the graphics are what people share,” LaPaglia said.
While LaPaglia continues to shoot games himself, Big Exposure Athletics also collaborates with other photographers and videographers, allowing the platform to cover more games and athletes throughout the area.
Big Exposure Athletics currently covers Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Football has been its primary focus, but coverage has expanded to include basketball, baseball, flag football, soccer, and lacrosse. LaPaglia hopes that is only the beginning, with plans to eventually expand beyond South Florida and provide exposure for athletes in other areas.
The growth of Big Exposure Athletics also led LaPaglia to another venture, Shoutout Studios. After the platform began posting photos and highlight graphics from games, LaPaglia noticed that parents and players were frequently asking whether they could turn those images into something tangible rather than leave them in the camera roll.
Those requests eventually helped inspire Shoutout Studios, which takes content captured through Big Exposure Athletics and turns it into keepsakes such as trading cards, framed prints and plaques for athletes and their families.
Despite the continued growth of both ventures, LaPaglia says his primary focus remains on helping athletes receive recognition.
“We’re not focused on money,” LaPaglia said. “We’re focused on our impact on athletes. Big Exposure Athletics is where exposure comes for every athlete.”
LaPaglia’s interest in photography began well before he started the company. He grew up taking pictures of sports, nature and anything else that caught his attention. He later took photography classes in school and online courses, but says much of his development has come through experience.
His football background has also helped with his transition into sports photography. Having played the game, LaPaglia says he can often anticipate where the action will develop before a play begins.
Now, his goal is to use those skills to help athletes who might otherwise go unnoticed. For LaPaglia, success is not simply measured by views or followers. He hopes his work can help an overlooked athlete attract the attention of a coach or program and potentially create an opportunity that was not there before.
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