Born in 1967, Todd Schmidt grew up in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He attended Temple University, where he majored in broadcast journalism and served as editor-in-chief of the Temple News, graduating in 1989. While at Temple, he covered Division I sports including Paul Palmer during his Heisman Trophy runner-up season. After graduation, Schmidt returned to his hometown to cover high school sports for the local newspaper before transitioning to New York City, where he worked in advertising and marketing communications for seven years at agencies including Scali McCabe Sloves, Lowe & Partners, and Grace and Rothschild. Despite success in advertising, the long commute and time away from his family prompted him to reconsider his career path and pursue his dream of working at NFL Films.