About

Jerry Rice was the first player I ever idolized. As an overweight white kid with no speed it was impossible to emulate Flash 80 on the field, but in life that’s another story. Rice’s work ethic is legendary, the thing of tall tales. The stories of “The Hill,” and catching bricks as a kid have resonated with me through my childhood and into my adult life.

No matter what I’ve done, working in a sweltering warehouse, leading an overnight crew while my pregnant wife sleeps at home, returning to school to complete a dream or becoming a father of two, I have always strove to be the best by working my hardest.

In my professional career, I’ve seen ups and downs and almost an out but I’m not giving up on my dream just yet. Sports writing is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and even if my words are relegated to a personal blog, I will continue living my fantasy.

Summary of Qualifications

Proven track record as a journalist with more than five years’ experience covering high school, collegiate and professional sports along with the Las Vegas nightlife scene combined with a four-year degree in journalism and a minor in speech communications.

Education

University of Nevada, Reno: Bachelor’s in journalism, graduated in 2009.

Experience

Reno Gazette-Journal
May 2010-Sept. 2011
Nightlife Content Developer for the No. 1 city-based travel site in the world.

• Developed advertorials for the Los Angeles Times featuring the unique aspects of Las Vegas including a nightlife survival guide, seasonal cocktails, the invasion of electronic DJs and more.
• Produced and wrote scripts for various video assignments and utilized video as an alternative-story format to accompany Los Angeles Times stories.
• Wrote detailed reviews of nightclubs, day clubs, bars and strip clubs. Provided weekly content for our blog site that was relevant to my beat. Maintained website content, images and links.

Nevada Appeal
Feb. 2009-March 2010
Sports Supervisor for a six-day-a-week newspaper with a readership of more than 25,000.

• Moved the newspaper into the social media age with live chats with area athletes, live blogs of large events and used Twitter to provide readers with in-game coverage.
• Coordinated all coverage between sports staff, photography staff and freelancers; conceptualized and designed 4-10 page sports section nightly. Copy edited all copy for sports section.
• Regular guest on a sports radio show broadcasted on the local Fox Sports Radio affiliate.

Reno Gazette-Journal   
May 2006-Feb. 2009
Sports Writer at a daily newspaper with a circulation of more than 50,000.                              

• Beat the national press to receive the first official comment from the NFL regarding former players suffering from concussions.
• Successfully pitched and developed the first sports blog at the newspaper, which resulted in immense popularity and increased web traffic.
• Received exclusive access to former contestant on NBC’s “The Contender,” and local boxer Joey Gilbert’s fight against the Nevada Athletic Commission regarding a failed drug test. The fight required constant follow-ups over an 18-month period.
• Wrote on national trend topics such as steroids in high school athletics, concussions and toxicity in artificial turf, among others.
• Coverage included 46 high school sports, collegiate athletics, minor league sports, boxing and MMA.