Legendary sports journalist Peter King inducted into the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame

Peter King, BSJ ‘79, renowned sports journalist, was inducted into the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame on OHIO’s Athens campus on October 9. In his acceptance speech to a crowd of other alumni and current students, King discussed the importance of journalists as “watchdogs,” being curious and working tirelessly to create honest and informative stories. 

The same day, King also kicked off a tour for his new book, “The Game,” which discusses his experience covering the NFL and his inside perspective on the league’s immense growth. King developed his writing skills over the course of his 40-year career at many notable organizations, including Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, HBO and ABC Television. Before advancing to those storied outlets, King got his start as the managing editor of The Post, OHIO’s independent student newspaper.

“The reason I am so fond of [Ohio University] is because this place allowed me to be what I became,” King said. “I just feel lucky to this day that this is the place I was able to hone my skills over the years.”

The Scripps College of Communication established the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame in 1993. The Hall of Fame honors professionals with a connection to Ohio who exhibit lifetime professional achievement, and individuals or foundations who show lifetime commitment to the college. The inductees' names are commemorated on a wall display in the first floor of the Schoonover Center for Communication.

"The Ohio Communication Hall of Fame honors lifetime achievement in the field, which Peter, named National Sports Media Association national sportswriter of the year three times, has certainly accomplished,” Aimee Edmondson, interim dean of the Scripps College of Communication, said. “Peter King is a prolific sportswriter and made a tremendous impact on sports journalism, and it is my great honor to induct Peter into the Hall of Fame on such a fitting weekend, our Homecoming at Ohio University."

In his acceptance speech, King shared that his love of journalism developed during his college career as he took classes and worked long hours for The Post. After graduation, King didn’t want to leave just yet, so he took a job at a local publication, The Athens Messenger, before going on to cover sports.

As he described in his acceptance speech, King went built his career out of a strong devotion and determination to tell interesting stories. From riding a bus cross-country with legendary coach John Madden to writing feature pieces on the personal lives of professional referees to covering the dramatic decision-making in NFL draft rooms, King followed a story wherever it took him. 

“There’s no way to do a good job in this business without being totally, totally devoted to it,” King said.

Even with his reporting career taking him all over the nation, he still holds a special connection to Athens. King met his wife, Ann, when they were students at Ohio University, and the pair later got married at a local chapel. 

In addition to being honored at the Hall of Fame ceremony, King also spent his Homecoming weekend speaking to the football team, hosting the annual Alumni Awards ceremony and co-hosting the parade’s livestream. This fall, he will begin traveling the nation for his book tour.