Curiosity Helps Ryan Smith '92 Transition From Lawyer to ESPN Anchor and Television Reporter
Life is not a straight line but a long, meandering path with many different stops along the way.
Take the case of Ryan Smith ’92. As a child, Smith had his life mapped out. His hometown Philadelphia Phillies were his favorite baseball team, and Smith envisioned becoming a famous sportscaster like one of his idols, Harry Kalas, the Phillies’ longtime radio play-by-play voice. While at an art show, Smith’s mother met Kalas, and when Kalas found out Smith was interested in a career in sports broadcasting, he recommended Smith study at Syracuse University.
Today, Smith is living out his childhood dreams. He anchors ESPN’s flagship show, “SportsCenter,” and is a Sports Emmy-winning host of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and “E:60” programs. Smith also reports on feature stories and investigative pieces while providing legal analysis across multiple ESPN platforms and ABC News, including serving as a regular contributor on “20/20.”
But his path to journalism was unorthodox. Smith followed Kalas’ advice and enrolled at Syracuse University, but he was more interested in studying political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
After earning a political science degree, Smith obtained a law degree from Columbia Law School. A successful lawyer who previously worked for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and as a sports and entertainment lawyer in New York City, Smith didn’t feel satisfied, so he pivoted to pursue a career in television.
Today, Smith combines his love of the law and sports with his passion for journalism.
“There are so many times when I walk onto ‘SportsCenter’ and am in awe of my career. Even though it wasn’t a straight-line path, I got to the point I always dreamt about. I always tell people, just because it might not be what you’re doing right now, doesn’t mean you should let go of that dream,” Smith says.
On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Smith discusses his unusual career path and the skillsets from being a lawyer that carry over to journalism.
Check out episode 143 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Smith. A transcript [PDF] is also available.
