Michael Wilbon
ESPN
Washington, DC USA
"Confidence is born from a series of successes. To just have it is unnatural."
Career Roadmap
Michael's work combines: Journalism, Sports, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
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.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Journalism
Northwestern University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, IL.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
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.
5.
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.
6.
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.
7.
Wrote his last column for the The Washington Post in 2010 in order to dedicate himself fully to his work at ESPN.
8.
He is now regarded as one of America’s best sports reporters and ESPN personalities.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I have Type 2 diabetes. I've also suffered a heart attack and had to have an angioplasty.