Michael Wilbon

Michael Wilbon

Sports Commentator & Analyst


ESPN

Washington, DC USA


Confidence is born from a series of successes. To just have it is unnatural.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Michael Wilbon

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, IL.
His father was a sharecropper's son and laborer, and his mother fled the South at age 14 to move to Chicago so that she could go to college one day—he credits their sacrifices for his success.
Says the lessons he learned from his parents about overcoming obstacles have stayed with him his whole life and instilled a willfulness in him to succeed.
Went to college at Northwestern University where he graduated with a degree in journalism; began his career by writing for the school paper, The Daily Northwestern.
After college, he interned with the The Washington Post where he covered college sports—was eventually promoted to full-time sports columnist covering everything from the Olympics to the Super Bowl.
He began working for ESPN first as a contributor to the talk show “The Sports Reporters,” and then as the co-host of “Pardon the Interruption” with Tony Kornheiser.
Wrote his last column for the The Washington Post in 2010 in order to dedicate himself fully to his work at ESPN.
He is now regarded as one of America’s best sports reporters and ESPN personalities.
Keep following my journey

Education

High School
Bachelor
Journalism
Northwestern University

Career

Sports Commentator & Analyst

I am an an ESPN commentator, former sportswriter and columnist for The Washington Post.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Journalism
Sports
Accomplishing Goals

Day to Day

My day typically involves some combination of writing, reading, and on-air reporting. During sports seasons, I go out to games to do live reports and conduct interviews. Every day is different.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for everyone

It's okay to be nervous when doing something new or putting yourself out there. Confidence is not a natural thing to have. It's learned from a series of successes. Embrace that.

Hurdles

Challenges I Overcame

Physical Issues

Interviewed By

Beating the Odds

Beating the Odds

Overcoming barriers as a first-generation college student