Peter King, Ohio University alumnus and familiar face for many football fans, will address undergraduates during commencement ceremonies on June 14.
King, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and regular commentator on television and radio programs, graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in 1979.
The Post's Emilie Schneider spoke with King about Sports Illustrated, Brett Favre and returning to Athens.
The Post: When did you go to work at Sports Illustrated?
King: 1989. That was my first year in June of '89 after working at Newsday covering the Giants. I covered the Giants for four years. The sort of shocking thing about going to Sports Illustrated was for the first time in my life I wasn't writing daily. G? There was no Internet then, obviously, so it was really strange to go from a situation where you were writing multiple stories seven days a week sometimes to a situation where you were writing once a week. It was almost like you were on vacation.
The Post: What made you interested in sports journalism? Was there a specific team or memory or instance where you're like, 'This is what I want to do?'
King: I was a huge sports fan (as a kid) G? and I thought, boy, if I can't play baseball for a living, I'd love to be able to write about it. G? I always thought I would get a job somewhere and cover government. I didn't really have any intention of becoming a sports writer.
The Post: What is one of your favorite interviews or memories from Sports Illustrated?
King: Well, Brett Favre has been in the news recently, and he's a guy who I've gotten closer to than anybody that I've covered in the NFL. In his first really good year, I did a story for the magazine that was in essence a week in the life of the Green Bay Packers. I spent a lot of time with Favre that week. G? I've gotten to know him well, and he's probably been about the most memorable character because of his honesty and that he is basically Huck Finn come to life. He's probably the most memorable character of the guys who I've covered.
The Post: When you got the phone call from President McDavis, how did it feel to be asked to speak at the commencement ceremony in June?
King: I thought I was going to be the JV speaker, that I would be the warm-up act, then they'd bring in Dick Cheney. I was shocked. I really was shocked. It was a nice feeling because Ohio University was good to me, and I look back at those years fondly. I was extremely surprised and very, very honored.
The Post: For students who will be graduating, do you have any advice on their first jobs from your experience?
King: Be versatile, be a team player, don't look at the clock, don't think about money. You don't have to be 23 years old and buy a beautiful car. Do the thing you want to do, and don't do the thing that you feel like you should do to either make the most money or make your parents happy, because then you'll never be happy.
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Emilie Schneider
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Peter King, this year's commencement speaker, said Brett Favre is the most memorable person he has covered at [i]Sports Illustrated[/i].
