Bob Asmussen reports in the November 5, 2024 editions of The News-Gazette:
Had she gone with her original career plan — dermatologist — Michelle Smallmon might be spending her days removing moles and reminding patients to wear sunscreen.
Fortunately for ESPN Radio listeners, medicine wasn't for Smallmon. She knew in a hurry.
Smallmon was taking a freshman chemistry course at the University of Illinois in 2004 when reality hit.
"I very quickly realized I'm not smart enough or dedicated enough to be a doctor," she said.
The former Belleville Althoff soccer standout pivoted to journalism, specifically broadcasting.
During her college days, Smallmon made a request to her adviser:
"Every internship that comes across your desk, I want to apply for," she said. "I applied for everything. In college, I got to work for 'Monday Night Football.' I worked for Illini Productions. I got an internship at KSDK in St. Louis. I just did whatever I could."
Great plan — one that eventually led Smallmon to her current position: co-host of ESPN Radio's popular national morning show "Unsportsmanlike With Evan (Cohen), (Chris) Canty and Michelle (Smallmon)." The show debuted Sept. 5, 2023, and can be heard on the network each day from 5 to 9 a.m. Central time.
The hosts have a blast on the broadcasts. On Halloween, they decided to dress up as the characters from "Happy Gilmore." Smallmon wore an alligator costume in honor of the one that got Chubbs Peterson's hand. (It helps if you've seen the movie).
Their first Halloween on the air together in 2023, they wore individual costumes. This time, they decided to do a team thing.
"The juxtaposition of me giving serious baseball analysis after the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series while dressed as an alligator is pretty funny," Smallmon said.
The idea of the show, in part, is to bring levity to the radio.
"When people wake up in the morning, they have a lot going on — they're getting ready for work, they're getting their kids ready for school, they are thinking about a lot of different things," Smallmon said. "If they choose to tune in to us, which we do not take for granted, we want to make sure they fun hanging out with us."
The show is produced at a studio at New York's South Street Seaport. Belleville native Smallmon now lives in "The City That Never Sleeps."
"It's great. I love it," Smallmon said. "It's obviously very, very different than St. Louis. But I really like it here."
Smallmon grew up a Rams fan and was heartbroken when the team fled St. Louis to return to Los Angeles.
She went looking for a new team this summer, which was documented on her show. They did a parody of ABC's "The Bachelorette." She eliminated the teams one by one and came down to a final three of the Jets, Bears and Packers.
She planned to pick the Bears until just before the big reveal. Smallmon was at a vintage store and found a shirt that read "Cheese and Football. Green Bay Packers."
The lack of an owner that might move the team put the Packers over the top.
She went to Lambeau Field for a game. Current records: Packers, 6-3; Bears, 4-4; Jets, 3-6.
"It's been a really good decision so far," Smallmon said.
Smallmon, 38, grew up on the Illinois side of the Mississippi.
"I am Illinois through and through," she said. "I do not identify with the state of Missouri at all. When it comes to the Braggin' Rights game, I am on the right side."
Why did she pick the UI for college?
"When I was growing up in Illinois, I always wanted to go far away," she said. "When I started my college process, we visited NYU, we visited Pepperdine, we visited the University of Florida."
A friend in high school was already at the UI as a freshman. Smallmon and three girlfriends went to visit him on a football weekend.
"I will never forget walking on that campus," Smallmon said. "It was a crisp fall day. I walked on the Quad, I looked around and it felt like home."
She applied to the UI early and got in.
"I applied to Mizzou as my safety school," Smallmon said.
All four friends who visited on the trip picked the UI and remain close today.
"I always tell people one of the very best decisions I made in my life was going to Illinois," she said.
Smallmon was always a sports fan, thanks to parents Tony and Robin.
They'd go see the Blues and the Cardinals. She learned how to keep score at Busch Stadium.
"I was always very passionate about sports," she said.
Smallmon followed sports at the UI from the start. She was a member of Block I and Orange Krush her freshman year.
"I was going to all of those games," she said.
It was a magical time, especially in basketball. The 2004-05 men's team, coached by Bruce Weber and led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, reached the NCAA championship game.
"To be in the eye of the storm when that was happening, it was something that took over campus," she said. "Everybody was living and dying with every single game, with every single shot. It was such a galvanizing thing to be a part of. It all felt like we were part of something that was bigger than ourselves."
Smallmon was back on the UI campus last week for the first time since graduation in 2008. She interviewed Illinois defensive back Xavier Scott for the "College GameDay" podcast.
"It was a really great conversation," Smallmon said. She toured the Smith Center and talked to coach Bret Bielema.
The campus has changed since she was here as a student.
She credits her UI professors for setting her on the proper path. She singled out John Paul.
"He really gave us the tools we needed in order to succeed in this industry," Smallmon said.
After graduation in 2008, Smallmon figured she would move to Chicago and get a job in media.
"That's when the economy crashed," she said. "It was a really rough time for all industries, but media in particular. People who had been legends in our industry were getting furloughed. There were no spots at the table available for people like me who were trying to break in."
She had stayed in contact with the people in charge at St. Louis NBC affiliate KSDK. The networking paid off.
A part-time production assistant job came open and she got it. She moved home with her parents and worked from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m., writing scripts and running the teleprompter.
Smallmon would go the sports office from 2 to 6 "and just bother them. I wanted to work in sports so badly," she said.
Current sports director Frank Cusumano and former sports director and current anchor Rene Knott became mentors.
"I just started doing stuff to try to help out," she said.
She covered high school football and hosted a segment of a Sunday night show.
When ESPN Radio came to St. Louis, Knott asked her to be a part of a weekend show. She co-hosted a three-hour broadcast.
The program director heard Smallmon on the air and asked if she would produce a show for local legend Bernie Miklasz. She jumped at it.
"The rest is history. I've been in radio ever since," Smallmon said.
Being on-air was never a goal. But she was always willing to try when asked.
Smallmon was offered a job as a producer at ESPN Radio in Bristol, Conn., where she stayed for three years.
Next, ESPN Radio in St. Louis reached out and asked if she would co-host with Miklasz.
"I thought: All the stars are aligning for me," she said. "It's a city that I love and teams that I love and teams that I've already covered."
She enjoyed being back home. But the pandemic got her thinking about life goals.
"One thing I really wanted to do was live in a big city," Smallmon said.
She left St. Louis and moved to New York, subletting an apartment. No full-time broadcasting job. She worked at a jewelry store on the side.
"I was doing everything I could to make enough money to live in New York because that was my dream at the time," she said.
ESPN Radio started giving her on-air opportunities. There was talk of a weekend show.
Her boss, Justin Craig, called her after a show and told her the network wanted to hire her for a permanent job.
"He was like 'We want to offer you the morning show,' and I was like 'What? What?' I thought he called the wrong number," she said.
"In that moment, he changed my whole life. To be given this opportunity is something so beyond my wildest dreams."
