Gridiron Glory 25: where are they now? Season 17 Host

Justin Holbrock says Gridiron Glory opened his eyes to what local sports teams mean to communities, and he has used that knowledge to have a successful career in sports broadcasting and beyond.

“Gridiron laid the foundation for the jobs I ended up taking in sports broadcasting,” said Holbrock. “I understood what sports was for the community, and I also understood how to honor that, create meaningful content about it and get it on the air.”

Holbrock grew up in Monroe, Ohio near Cincinnati and came to Ohio University after attending the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s High School Journalism Workshop over the summer.

“I had such a good experience at the workshop,” said Holbrock. “I knew it was a good journalism school.”

When Holbrock started classes in Athens, he wasn’t sure what kind of journalism he was interested in pursuing.

“I played sports growing up, and I knew I always wanted to do journalism and sports,” said Holbrock. “I did a little bit of everything I could on campus at first. I worked at The Post and Backdrop Magazine for a little bit. I got involved with WOUB doing both The Bobcat Sports Showcase and Gridiron.”

And it wasn’t long before broadcast television became Holbrock’s focus. He put much of his time and energy into Gridiron.

“I worked my way up covering a variety of teams by going to games, shooting video, writing and getting scores,” said Holbrock. In 2015, Holbrock’s junior year, he became host of the show.

“I think that stemmed from being willing and able to do all of the little things and understanding that the show was not about the person who hosted it or the people who were on it, but about the community both on the field and off of it,” said Holbrock. “It doesn’t get any more community based than high school football Fridays.”

During his senior year, Holbrock returned to reporting for the show covering the TVC Ohio and teams like Nelsonville York.

“I enjoyed all of it,” said Holbrock.

When Holbrock graduated in 2017, he got a job as a news multimedia journalist at WRBL TV in Columbus, Georgia. Eventually the weekend sports anchor position opened up at the station, and Holbrock jumped at the chance to do sports again. About two and a half years later, Holbrock returned home to Ohio for a digital sports reporter position at NBC4 TV in Columbus.

“I brought all of my experience with writing, videography, editing and being on the air to focus on the website,” said Holbrock. “I established my abilities to do all of those things at WOUB and Ohio University.”

In October 2023, Holbrock decided to change career direction and took a job at Irvin Public Relations. As an account executive, Holbrock has coordinated PR efforts for all sporting events hosted by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, including the MLS Manchester City vs. Chelsea match at Ohio Stadium and the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships, as well as worked with non-profits like the Greater Columbus Arts Commission.

“It’s just a different way to tell other people’s stories,” said Holbrock. “I use the knowledge I have about what good stories are and now am the one pitching those stories to the media and getting other people interested in those stories too.”

Holbrock is thrilled to see that Gridiron Glory is still going strong and has reached its 25th season.

“I just think of all the time and commitment all of these full-time college students have given to this show over the years. They have such a passion for it, and it takes a village for this thing to go,” said Holbrock. “It’s just so important to the community. And It’s cool for college kids to be able to figure out what their place is and who they want to be while putting on this program and forming friendships that they have forever. I have so many great memories. Hopefully there are 25 more years to come because there’s nothing better than Friday nights and Gridiron Glory.”

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