ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to speak at UF Nov. 12

October 31, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- ACCENT Speakers Bureau at the University of Florida will bring ESPN columnist, sports analyst, and radio host Stephen A. Smith to campus Nov. 12.

Smith is the co-host of ESPN’s popular show “First Take” and is an NBA analyst for all ESPN programs. He also co-hosts “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on SiriusXM Radio.

Smith was born in the British Virgin Islands and grew up in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens in New York City. He attended Fashion Institute of Technology, Winston-Salem State University and Johnson & Wales University. He played basketball for Hall of Fame Coach Clarence Gaines while attending Winston-Salem State University.

Smith worked at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News & Record and the New York Daily News before spending 16 years at The Philadelphia Inquirer. In March 2003, he was promoted to general sports columnist by the Inquirer, becoming one of only 21 African-Americans in the country to hold the title at that time.

In 2003, Smith joined ESPN. He began as an analyst for “NBA Shootaround” (now called “NBA Countdown”). He previously appeared on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” ESPNEWS, ESPN2’s “First Take” and as a guest host on “Pardon the Interruption” and “Jim Rome is Burning.” From 2005 to 2007, he hosted “Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith,” a daily hour-long show on ESPN. He is currently an ESPN radio host and ESPN.com columnist and co-hosts ESPN’s show “First Take,” which airs on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The program starts at 8 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and doors open at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Photography is not allowed during the program, but news media may photograph and record video for b-roll purposes for the first five minutes.

For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, email accommodate@sg.ufl.edu or call 711 by Nov. 9.