Michael Smith was an ocean away from New England Patriots training camp and that made him unhappy.
It didn’t matter that Smith was in his mid-20s at the time and reporting for the NFL Boston Globe was in action with his girlfriend (now wife) by his side at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris, France.
“She’s like, ‘Are you serious?'” Smith told USA TODAY Sports in a video call.
The NFL was his first love in this business. His thing. Has always been. Is still.
That’s especially true at this moment — 19 years later — with Amazon’s Prime Video hiring Smith as news analysts for its “Thursday Night Football” studio coverage. Smith will be part of the pregame, halftime and postgame shows hosted by Charissa Thompson with Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman as analysts.
“It’s a moment where we come full circle. It’s a return to my roots in many ways. I’ve always wanted to be part of a national television show… and here I am,” said Smith, who spent 15 years (2004-2019) at ESPN. first as an NFL insider and then as a commentator and presenter on a variety of shows.
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At ESPN, Smith worked with Prime Video VP for Global Video Marie Donoghue, who said Smith has “an incredible journalism background.”
“We really think it’s really important for viewers to add a reporter with Michael Smith’s journalistic credentials to contextualize stories surrounding the NFL,” Donoghue told USA TODAY Sports.
Smith is no stranger to a pregame show. He was involved in ESPN’s NFL Sunday Countdown, which was produced by Amina Hussein – now Head of US Sports On-Air Talent and Development at Prime Video. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he wanted to be the next Chris Mortensen.
That didn’t happen and he would never suggest being Prime Video’s Mortensen, but what he’s saying is that it’s a dream come true.
“It was just trying to convince her that I’m the guy,” Smith joked.
Smith said he always pays attention to the CBS and Fox programs, and that he’s been working at NBC Sports since 2020 and became familiar with “Football Night in America.”
“It feels like a natural progression to me,” Smith, who is the host and executive producer of the Peacock sports, current affairs and culture show Brother From Another. (Smith said a “reimagined and bigger” deal with NBC is in the making.)
“I’ve worked a long time to get to this point,” Smith said. “I appreciate that Prime Video knows what I’m bringing to the table and gives me a seat at their table.”
Smith rose to national prominence as a panelist on the popular nightly debate show Around The Horn. He has co-hosted various programs alongside Jemele Hill, most notably His & Hers. The pair began hosting the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter in 2017, which was rebranded SC6. Hill left 12 months later and Smith hosted a solo version until May 2018 before being replaced; he and ESPN reached an acquisition agreement the next year.
A streaming service that exclusively airs “Thursday Night Football” is an example of how much has changed in the media since Smith began covering the NFL in 2001. But that’s the exciting part for him.
“I feel like a part of this team, this company, this moment, this transition to[Prime Video]streaming exclusively the NFL on Thursday nights, the journey has brought me here the whole time,” Smith said.
“This is the biggest opportunity we’ve had in a while,” Smith said. “I haven’t been this excited in a long time. And it’s not just how popular it is, it’s really the people.”
Thompson and Smith previously worked together on ESPN2’s Numbers Never Lie (which eventually became His & Hers) and “nobody makes work feel less like work than Charissa,” Smith said.
At a recent meeting at Prime Video Studios in Los Angeles, Smith became friends with the ex-gamer analysts he has covered at various points in their careers, and has also long known features reporter Taylor Rooks. Smith said no one was “more real” than contributor Aqib Talib and called another contributor, Andrew Whitworth, one of the best teammates in football history.
“I’ll tell you, and I don’t want to set the bar too high, but I’ve seen a glimpse of what we have … and the chemistry is amazing,” Smith said. “I think we’re going to hit the ground running and people are going to look at us and say this is one of the best teams on sports TV from the start. That’s what we want to be.”
Donoghue said there will be no restrictions on what topics Smith can comment on or report on. Smith plans to combine his acumen as a reporter with his critical thinking skills and his own opinion. Prime Video discontinued him for this reason.
“You know exactly who I am,” he said. “You know my work. They know exactly what I’ve done and what I bring to the table and the versatility I bring to the table.”
After decades on television, Smith has respect across the board and his prospect is highly regarded across the league. The job description, Smith said, is “Be Michael Smith.”
“I’ve managed to shape those worlds as a commentator and analyst and as a reporter for about 20 years,” Smith said. “They knew exactly how I do my job and that’s exactly what they were looking for.
“That was exactly what I was looking for.”
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.