When Jefferey Hood Jr. was in seventh grade, his teacher, Ms. Peggy Davenport, asked him to write down what he wanted to major in once he got to college. Hood knew he wanted to pursue a career in sports, but he didn’t know the exact path to take. With Davenport’s guidance and motivation, he began mapping out a plan — a plan that would require sacrifices and relentless determination to fulfill.
Today, Davenport would be proud. With her encouragement as a guiding light, Hood has excelled academically and jump-started a career in sports media.
Hood is graduating summa cum laude, the highest honors given to students, from Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (FAMU SJGC) on Dec. 12 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Soon after, he will walk through the doors of ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, as a full-time production assistant — putting him one step closer to his ultimate goals: becoming an ESPN show producer, producing live sporting events at major networks, and developing content for professional sports organizations like the NBA and NFL.
“We had some high goals that we wanted to achieve. We did it. We beat the odds and made the sacrifices that people didn’t understand to get to this point today,” Hood said when asked what he would tell his seventh-grade self.
The odds and sacrifices he speaks of include overcoming self-esteem issues and trading his nights as a college student for long hours in sound booths, production bays, and writing labs to perfect his skills and build his confidence.
From Transfer Student to Transformational Leader
Hood, a White Plains, Maryland native by way of Fayetteville, Georgia, transferred from the University of Alabama and battled imposter syndrome when he first arrived at FAMU.
“I came into SJGC alongside so many talented journalists already making an impact. It made me question myself and my abilities,” he said. “What helped me overcome it was reminding myself of my purpose, trusting my work ethic, and leaning on my support system. It taught me resilience.”
Despite initial doubts, including wondering if he was in the right program, Hood decided to take a leap of faith, leaning on his belief in the Lord’s ability to help him in his time of need and trusting in SJGC’s promise of hands-on opportunities that would prepare him to succeed, lead, and impact others.
“When I met (SJGC) Dean Mira Lowe and shared my goals, she told me confidently that I could accomplish all of them right here,” he said. “I felt that family energy and knew SJGC was where I needed to be.”
Left: Hood found his voice at SJGC, and it became a staple across student media and the campus. Photo: SJGC Archives. Right: Captured by fellow student Ashley Bigbee, Hood spends time in the campus newsrooms that shaped him one last time.
Hood set ambitious goals, a list of to-do items, and achieved them all. After only about a year as an SJGC student, he had the opportunity to intern with HBCU GO, a destination for Black college sports and culture. He went on to serve as sports director for campus radio station WANM-FM 90.5, as an associate producer for FAMU TV-20, and as sports editor for the student newspaper, The FAMUAN. He also served as producer for one of FAMU’s most popular on-campus radio shows and podcasts, “The Playmakers,” where he and his colleagues interviewed and discussed high-profile athletes and personalities, as well as FAMU athletes and coaches, and transformed the platform’s social media presence into a sports hub.
“Learning media leadership mattered to me because I wanted to sharpen skills that transfer directly into the industry. Managing multiple roles taught me time management and discipline,” he said about wearing so many hats.
When Big Dreams Become Big Doors
Those experiences opened doors to coveted opportunities. Hood was selected as a production intern at ESPN for the spring of 2024 and later served as a 2025 NBA-HBCU Fellow with the Sacramento Kings social media team this past summer. He was one of only 73 HBCU students selected by the NBA Foundation from 8,000 applicants.
“Before these opportunities, I wanted to be a beat writer,” Hood said. “But working at ESPN and with the Kings opened my eyes to visual storytelling. I realized my passion lies in telling stories visually and creatively.”
Now that the map he and Davenport designed is coming to life, Hood also plans to pay it forward. He wants to encourage others about the possibilities of their future, just like she did for him.
“Mentorship played a huge part in my development. My dad always told me it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know,” Hood said. “I plan to be an accessible resource for future SJGC students, helping them reach their goals the same way others helped me.”
It is important to Hood to ensure that the next generation of SJGC scholars and sports media dreamers understand that some of the people who will help them realize their potential are not just those they aspire to be like, but the people they see and connect with every day: family, classmates, and instructors.
Although he credits NBA star LeBron James; the late sideline reporter Craig Sager; sportswriter D. Orlando Ledbetter; commentator Jay Walker; and SJGC alumni Ahmad Kebe (NBA x HBCU stream host) and Malik Burgess (producer of promotional content for NBA broadcast partners) among his inspirations, he also points to his father, a former NFL agent; classmates such as Terrill Smith, a senior graphic design student, and Jalen Scott, a junior journalism student (who helped him make projects like “The Playmakers” a success); as well as the mentors he found in his SJGC professors.
“Jeff was one of the first students I taught at FAMU, and he immediately set a high standard. He was a leader in the classroom, raising the bar and encouraging other students to do the same,” Professor Arionne Nettles said. “Now, as his adviser at The FAMUAN newspaper, I’ve also seen him grow as an editor, leading the paper’s sports coverage and being a shining example to reporters. I’m so ecstatic for this next chapter for him because I know that not only will he grow as a journalist, but he will also truly get to make new connections and reach new career heights. I can’t wait to see him in a year.”
As Hood prepares to graduate and start his ESPN career, he reflects on his path with gratitude.
“Thank you to my family for supporting me on this non-linear journey, to my friends who stood by me, and to FAMU SJGC for giving me a chance. I needed FAMU more than FAMU needed me,” he said.
From a seventh-grade classroom to the global stage of sports media, Jefferey Hood Jr.’s story is one of perseverance, purpose, and passion, a blueprint for aspiring storytellers of all ages.
