Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith is a sports commentator, interviewer and author who leads ESPN’s First Take and hosts sports and political conversations on SiriusXM and YouTube.
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Stephen’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
ESPN
SiriusXM
SiriusXM
Simon & SchusterOverview
- From
- Hollis, Queens, New York
- Education
- Winston-Salem State University, class of 1991
- Early career
- Newspaper sports reporter and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist
- Breakout
- Became a First Take fixture alongside Skip Bayless in 2012
Mini bio
How it started.
Raised in Queens, Smith went to Winston-Salem State on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1991. He began reporting for the campus newspaper, then worked at newspapers in North Carolina and New York before joining The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1994.
Finding his voice.
Smith joined ESPN in 2003 and hosted Quite Frankly from 2005 to 2007. His regular First Take debates with Skip Bayless, beginning in 2012, helped make his outspoken style familiar to a much wider audience.
Beyond the sports desk.
His 2023 memoir Straight Shooter tells the story behind the broadcasts, including childhood challenges and career setbacks. In 2025 he expanded his work with two SiriusXM shows and a partnership with Kevin Frazier at Straight Shooter Media. Fans can follow the sports debates and longer political interviews on YouTube, too.
Creditschronological, newest first
Television and audio
- 2025Straight Shooter with Stephen A.Host, politics and culture program
- 2025The Stephen A. Smith ShowHost, SiriusXM daily sports program
- 2016General HospitalRecurring appearances as Brick, beginning in April 2016
- 2012First TakeFeatured commentator; now executive producer
- 2005–2007Quite Frankly with Stephen A. SmithHost
Books
- 2023Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First TakesAuthor and audiobook narrator
Awards
Quotes
A lot of people watched sports and the games, but I loved the commentary.Stephen A. Smith, Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame profile
Looking back on the broadcasters he admired before starting his own journalism career.
Trivia
- Before Winston-Salem State, he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for a year.
- As a college basketball player, he wrote a column calling for his own coach, Clarence Gaines, to retire.
- His first General Hospital appearance was as a television reporter in 2007, before he returned as Brick in 2016.
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Follow Stephen’s sports takes, interviews and conversations beyond the game.
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