Arr, ESPN's Stephen A Smith be sharin' his tale o' how he embarked on his sports journalism journey: 'Ye must puzzle it out, mateys!'
2023-12-10
Arr, me mateys! ESPN scallywag Stephen A. Smith had a jolly chat with OutKick's own Clay Travis, sharin' tales 'bout how he set sail in the sports media world. 'Twas the Winston-Salem Journal where his journey began, aye! Yo ho ho!
Stephen A. Smith, the popular ESPN personality, began his career in sports journalism while attending Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Before he made it to Bristol, Connecticut and became an NBA reporter in Philadelphia, his professor encouraged him to pursue a career as a sportswriter. This led him to the Winston-Salem Journal, where he was hired as a clerk after a brief meeting with the sports editor.During an interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, Smith reminisced about his early days working for the newspaper. He recalled earning a meager $400 a week and surviving on a diet of tuna fish and Kool-Aid. Smith also mentioned being assigned to cover the Wake Forest University soccer team, despite having no knowledge of the sport. When he expressed his concerns to the sports editor, he was simply told to figure it out. Determined to succeed, Smith approached the soccer team's coach, Walt Chyzowych, and explained his predicament. To his surprise, Chyzowych granted him full access to the players and the team spent an entire week teaching him about soccer.
Smith's successful coverage of the Wake Forest soccer team earned him the position of beat writer for the team. From there, he went on to work for the Greensboro News, New York Daily News, and the Philadelphia Enquirer before becoming the prominent sports media personality he is today.
In summary, Stephen A. Smith's journey in sports journalism began at Winston-Salem State University. He started as a clerk at the Winston-Salem Journal and worked his way up through various newspapers before achieving widespread recognition as an ESPN personality. Despite initial challenges and a lack of soccer knowledge, Smith's determination and willingness to learn ultimately propelled his career forward.