Michelle Smallmon is a popular ESPN radio host known for her eclectic personality and joyful show ‘Unsportsmanlike’.
Key Takeaways
- Michelle Smallmon was born in east Belleville, Missouri.
- Her parents Tony and Robin fostered her enthusiasm for sports from a very young age.
- She pursued her passion and is now accepted and loved by the NFL Community.
Michelle Smallmon is one of the most recognizable and bright sportscasters in the NFL.
Her radio show “Unsportsmanlike” brings in thousands of viewers who are passionate fans of the sport.
Michelle’s Childhood In Missouri Was The Source of Her Passion for Sports
Michelle Smallmon was born in east Belleville, a city located in St. Louis, Missouri.
Born on August 13, 1986, to parents Tony and Robin Pinto Smallmon, she was raised in a relatively healthy and fulfilled household.
Tony is a real estate broker who works under Barber Murphy.
Robin, a graduate of Keyport High School, NJ, has not disclosed her profession.
Tony and Robin’s passion for sports- especially football and baseball- fostered the strong spirit in their daughter, who would go on to make strides in the industry.
Michelle stated in an interview,
When I was a little kid I was always with my dad. He was a massive sports fan. He took me to Cards games and forced me to keep score!
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Along with her father, Michelle’s mother also contributed to her passion. A fan of sports herself, she used to dress their young daughter in appropriate team jerseys and pigtails.
Tony said that he found out his daughter was a sports fan when she was 6 years old.
It’s 1992 and I’m a big fan of Miami (Dolphins). She had a (Dan) Marino jersey on. We’re watching the game. The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker and I turn around and she’s crying. That’s when I knew I had turned her into a sports fan.
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Michelle took up soccer at a young age, with Tony himself being her coach.
However, Michelle’s decision to pursue soccer was not direct; she tried dance, volleyball, and softball in grade school before settling for soccer.
Smallmon attended Althoff High School, where she played varsity as a freshman and was co-captain her senior year.
Later on, she attended the University of Illinois and acquired a degree in broadcast journalism, strongly pursuing her athletically bound career.
Her first job out of college was as a production assistant with KSDK-TV.
Michelle’s Stellar Rise as a Sports Personality
Michelle always wanted to be a sports writer and enjoyed talking about sports.
She often used to have off-air conversations with KSDK sportscaster Frank Cusamano and sports director Rene Kott.
Their close connection led to Rene inviting her to make comments on a weekly sports wrapup show he was doing.
On the side, she handled remote production at Rams games.
When Michelle’s idol Bernie Miklasz got his show on ESPN radio in St. Louis, she applied to be his producer, despite lacking the experience.
I thought I would always be in TV. … When I got the call, plans change and you roll with it.
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Bernie fortunately gave her a chance, where she continued to display her work ethic and determination.
While working as a producer, the hosts would ask Michelle for comments, and it eventually led to her hosting the weekly “Rams Playmakers” in 2014.
Bernie has been Michelle’s biggest supporter over the years.
In an interview, he praised Michelle as
.. And she knows sports. She loves sports. She had no experience producing but I didn’t care. The mechanics of producing can be taught and learned. But you can’t teach someone to have flair. You can’t install an abundant personality.
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Furthermore, he also expressed frustration that she doesn’t already have her radio show, as she was better than 75 percent of the shows at the time.
To be honest it bothers me that she doesn’t have her own radio show. She would be better at it than 75 percent of the people that host sports talk radio. She is a rare talent,
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Not letting her gender affect her professional career, almost all the casters of the industry loved and accepted her, which further highlighted her as one of the growing personalities in the industry.
Michelle’s Familial Support in Her Professional Career
Michelle’s parents Robin and Tony are very proud of their daughter’s career.
When Michelle got her position on 101 ESPN radio in St. Louis, they cried tears of joy.
Robin does not doubt that her daughter is going places, although she hopes she’ll eventually come home.
She always had that sparkle in her eye. And, I know she wants to make her dad proud.
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Is Michelle Smallmon Married?
As of now, Michelle Smallmon is not married.
She has not posted anything in regards to her marital life, or her partner in general.
However, fans can expect that she will reveal details about her partner sooner than later.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Michelle recently selected the Green Bay Packers as her team of choice for the NFL 2024.
- Currently, she is a co-host for “Unsportsmanlike” a national weekday morning ESPN Radio show.
- Her parents currently live in Shiloh.
