Top-Rated Speakers Bureau and Entertainment Booking Agency for Corporate Meetings and Business Events. Book an AAE Speaker Today.
Top-Rated Speakers Bureau and Entertainment Booking Agency for Corporate Meetings and Business Events. Book an AAE Speaker Today.
Click to Open Search Bar

Shelley Smith

"SportsCenter" Correspondent for ESPN

REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Shelley Smith Biography

Shelley Smith joined ESPN in January 1997 after working part-time as a reporter for the network since 1993. Previously, she was a writer/reporter for Sports Illustrated (1989-97). An award-winning journalist and author of three books, Smith has written and recorded hundreds of articles and reports on topics ranging from the Olympics to the O.J. Simpson trial. She has covered Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, the BCS national championship game, the NHL Stanley Cup, golf and tennis championships, ski racing, weightlifting, boxing and motor sports.

At ESPN, Smith won a Sports Emmy in 1997 for her segment on Magic Johnson as part of an ESPN production on AIDS and Athletes, and won three more as part of "SportsCenter" in 2003 and 2005 and "College GameDay" in 2007. In 2010 she received the College Sports Media Special Feature of the year award for a piece on Jake Olson, a young USC fan who lost his sight that year.

Previously, she worked for The Associated Press, Pacific Stars & Stripes in Tokyo, Japan (1987) and The San Francisco Examiner (1984-87), where she won a William Randolph Hearst Award in 1986 for her series on Title IX in the Bay Area. She joined Sports Illustrated in 1989 after covering the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, for the magazine. She conducted the first one-on-one interview with Ben Johnson (on a Seoul-to-New York flight) after he tested positive for steroids and was stripped of his gold medal.

Smith is the co-author of the controversial book “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!,” written with then New York Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson following the 1996 NFL season. Her second book, “Games Girls Play: Lessons to Guiding and Understanding Young Female Athletes,” written with sports psychologist Caroline Silby, was released in August 2000 by St. Martin’s Press. She also co-authored “You Play to Win the Game: Leadership Lessons for Success On and Off the Field,” with then New York Jets coach Herm Edwards. She is currently working on an unauthorized biography of Raiders owner Al Davis.

She is the co-founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation newsletter, serves on various committees for The Boys and Girls Club of San Pedro and is a volunteer writer for many charity organizations, including the Serra Project, which provides homes for AIDS victims.

She attended the University of Nebraska from 1976-1981, majoring in journalism and political science. Smith’s daughter, Dylann Tharp, captained the University of Oregon soccer team and in 2007 was named to the Pac-10 second team.

Books
Just Give Me the Damn Ball!: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie

Just Give Me the Damn Ball!: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie

News
FAQs
  • How do I book Shelley Smith to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Shelley Smith for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Shelley Smith, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Shelley Smith or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Shelley Smith

    Speaking fees for Shelley Smith, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Shelley Smith are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Shelley Smith, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Shelley Smith speak about?

    Shelley Smith is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Broadcasters, Broadcasting, Cancer Speakers, Culture, Entertainment, Health and Wellness, Journalism, Sports, Writers and Journalists.
  • Where does Shelley Smith travel from?

    Shelley Smith generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Shelley Smith’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Shelley Smith for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Shelley Smith for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Shelley Smith or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Check Availability

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

Users also viewed these speakers:

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

"SportsCenter" Correspondent for ESPN

Travels From:
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Speaking Fee:

Shelley Smith Biography

Shelley Smith joined ESPN in January 1997 after working part-time as a reporter for the network since 1993. Previously, she was a writer/reporter for Sports Illustrated (1989-97). An award-winning journalist and author of three books, Smith has written and recorded hundreds of articles and reports on topics ranging from the Olympics to the O.J. Simpson trial. She has covered Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, the BCS national championship game, the NHL Stanley Cup, golf and tennis championships, ski racing, weightlifting, boxing and motor sports.

At ESPN, Smith won a Sports Emmy in 1997 for her segment on Magic Johnson as part of an ESPN production on AIDS and Athletes, and won three more as part of "SportsCenter" in 2003 and 2005 and "College GameDay" in 2007. In 2010 she received the College Sports Media Special Feature of the year award for a piece on Jake Olson, a young USC fan who lost his sight that year.

Previously, she worked for The Associated Press, Pacific Stars & Stripes in Tokyo, Japan (1987) and The San Francisco Examiner (1984-87), where she won a William Randolph Hearst Award in 1986 for her series on Title IX in the Bay Area. She joined Sports Illustrated in 1989 after covering the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, for the magazine. She conducted the first one-on-one interview with Ben Johnson (on a Seoul-to-New York flight) after he tested positive for steroids and was stripped of his gold medal.

Smith is the co-author of the controversial book “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!,” written with then New York Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson following the 1996 NFL season. Her second book, “Games Girls Play: Lessons to Guiding and Understanding Young Female Athletes,” written with sports psychologist Caroline Silby, was released in August 2000 by St. Martin’s Press. She also co-authored “You Play to Win the Game: Leadership Lessons for Success On and Off the Field,” with then New York Jets coach Herm Edwards. She is currently working on an unauthorized biography of Raiders owner Al Davis.

She is the co-founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation newsletter, serves on various committees for The Boys and Girls Club of San Pedro and is a volunteer writer for many charity organizations, including the Serra Project, which provides homes for AIDS victims.

She attended the University of Nebraska from 1976-1981, majoring in journalism and political science. Smith’s daughter, Dylann Tharp, captained the University of Oregon soccer team and in 2007 was named to the Pac-10 second team.

Shelley Smith Books

FAQs on booking Shelley Smith

  • How do I book Shelley Smith to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Shelley Smith for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Shelley Smith, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Shelley Smith or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Shelley Smith

    Speaking fees for Shelley Smith, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Shelley Smith are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Shelley Smith, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Shelley Smith speak about?

    Shelley Smith is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Broadcasters, Broadcasting, Cancer Speakers, Culture, Entertainment, Health and Wellness, Journalism, Sports, Writers and Journalists.
  • Where does Shelley Smith travel from?

    Shelley Smith generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Shelley Smith’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Shelley Smith for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Shelley Smith for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Shelley Smith or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Shelley Smith is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Shelley Smith for your event is available upon request. Shelley Smith generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Hannah Storm, Linda Cohn, Sharon Delaney McCloud, Hoda Kotb and Lauren Sisler. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Shelley Smith for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Shelley Smith News

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Speakers Similar to Shelley Smith

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP