SLIPPERY ROCK — Being a New England Patriot fan isn’t a big deal.

Being such a fan in Slippery Rock can be an ordeal.

Such is the case with Slippery Rock resident and Slippery Rock University junior communications major Brittany Barger.

“I was never much of a football fan until I saw Tom Brady on TV one day,” Barger said. “I was like, who is this guy? I began watching his games on television and got hooked.”

Now she owns Brady jerseys and other Patriots football garb. She even wears a Brady jersey when she goes to work at a hardware store in town.

“Everyone’s really mean to me about it,” Barger said, laughing. “My co-workers make fun of me and customers come in and tell me to move to New England.”

Her mother, Barb Pink, is a die-hard Steelers fan, but loyally supports her daughter’s Patriot fanaticism.

“She’s not hard to buy for come Christmas time,” Pink admitted. “She was around 16 when she saw Brady for the first time. She thought he was cute.

“I think he’s disgusting. But we deal with it. Football is all in fun in our house.”

Barger is a frequent visitor to the Patriots’ Twitter page and recently discovered a contest there to become a fan photographer for a day at the team’s training camp.

Entrants had to send a creative Tweet, in 140 characters or less, explaining why that person should be selected as photographer for the day.

Barger’s Tweet read: In Slippery Rock, Pa., we have a Brady Township and a Brady Street. All I need is a photo of Tom Brady to make my life complete.”

From approximately 200 entries, Barger’s Tweet was selected the winner and she spent last Sunday on the field at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

A triplet, Barger rode to Foxboro with her mother and one of her brothers.

“We left at 1:30 p.m. Friday, spent the night in New Jersey, drove up the New England coast Saturday and got her to the team’s practice Sunday,” Pink said. “Her brother and I got VIP seats in the stands while she got to go down on the sideline.

“She wore a media badge and just had her little camera. The Patriots handed her a much bigger camera to use.”

While she never met Brady, Barger did talk with All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski and safety Danny Aiken. She also talked with people who work at the stadium.

“It was kind of disappointing not meeting Brady, but I did get plenty of pictures of him and I met other players,” she said. “And I developed some contacts I may be able to use down the road.

“I have interest in going into public relations, maybe working for a team ... After this experience, I’d love to work for a pro team somewhere.”

Barger was interviewed by the Patriots about her experiences that day and that interview is posted on the team’s website.

Pink and her children left the stadium at 8 p.m. Sunday night, arriving home in Slippery Rock at 5:30 a.m. Monday

“I had to be at work at 8,” Pink said. “But that was OK. That was an experience my daughter will never forget.”

And Barger hopes to return to New England soon.

“My brother Zane is an environmental studies major at SRU and is attending a conference in Boston in November,” she said. “I’m hoping to tag along and go to a game.”

Her other brother, Zachary, plans to enroll at SRU in the spring.

“They still tease me, but the Patriots will get back to the Super Bowl and win it this year,” Barger said. “They learned their lesson last year.”