Stephen A. Smith, “The hardest working man in sports show business,” dropped by his alma mater, Winston-Salem State University, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, to give a booster shot of passion for students aspiring to be successful media professionals.
“I speak from the heart; I try to be as real as possible,” said Smith, a sports journalist and radio-TV personality, as he spoke to an audience of eager-eared students and faculty in a lecture room of R.J. Reynolds Center.
Until recently, Smith was the host of his own sports talk show, ‘Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith.” During the Mass Communications Club presentation, Smith (Class of ’92) shared his past experiences and advice to students who happen to be “sitting in the same room and chairs” as Smith did nearly a decade and a half earlier.
After announcing the cancellation of his show, Smith went on to share his first lesson about entering the world of professionalism: “Everything you have learned will be challenged.”
According to Smith, his show did not receive the ratings that many had anticipated. Despite the setback, Smith proudly proclaims, “I am a black man.””My stuff is straight. I am still living lovely, very lovely,” Smith added.
He also shared some of his insights as well as lessons learned from personal reflections. “Nobody can stop you, but you,” Smith proclaimed.
“You know why I am confident?” Smith asked as his eyes scanned the audience. “I study other people’s weaknesses. I knew something … in my heart I was winner. If you are not being somebody, why are you here?”
Before Smith acquired national acclaim with his ESPN hit show, he covered a variety of sports for the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and Record, the New York Daily News, CNN/SI and Fox Sports. In 2000, he covered boxing and basketball for the Inquirer during the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He has also provided color commentary for BET Coverage of the CIAA Basketball Tournament.