By Miguel Mike Medina
Donovan Gibbs is a student at Syracuse University who is pursuing his master’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism. Gibbs is a sports journalist who is working relentlessly in his writing and podcasting. Gibbs is a writer for the Baltimore Ravens on SI.
Gibbs has had a love and affection for Sports for as long as he can remember. Most sports fans grew up watching and admiring ESPN. Gibbs is one of them.
“Since I was around 5 years old,” Gibbs said. “I grew up watching shows like Around the Horn and SportsCenter every day growing up.”
Gibbs comes from a family that is big sports fans. When a family cheers and roots for sports teams, it can bring unity. Sports, just like food, bring people together.
“My Father and Uncle are big sports fans,” Gibbs said. “My Dad raised me as a NY Mets and Brooklyn Nets fan while my Uncle had me going to Ravens preseason games since I was 7 years old. Those experiences 100% shaped my fandom and passion for sports.”
Before enrolling at Syracuse, Gibbs obtained his bachelor’s degree at Long Island University. Syracuse is a behemoth. A lot of big names have come out of that institution, such as Mike Tirico, Marv Albert, Bob Costas, and many more. Gibbs shared his thoughts on what Syracuse means to him and the things he’s learning every day.
“So far it has shown me the reality of the industry and what it takes to get in,” Gibbs said. “It’s very competitive, and I’m thankful that my professors have been understanding of my goals. They have given me their all so far throughout these two weeks, and I’m just trying to match that dedication every day.”
Every writer goes through tough moments in terms of getting an assignment done that’s very complicated or out of their league. In any profession, an individual will be tested to see if they will succeed on a tough task.
“The toughest assignment I worked on was interviewing Kaká for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup during my internship at Fox Sports Radio. I wasn’t as fond of soccer, so I had to do extensive research,” Gibbs said. “Once I understood the prestige of the athlete I was dealing with, I set up questions that were enticing yet didn’t sound like they were coming from a fan. It was also my first ever experience in a press conference, so all those nerves added up. I’m happy it went well and is still a successful interview.”
Gibbs is the man behind “The Voice of College Football.” He enjoys providing great value through the podcast. He stays away from biased opinions and loves the authenticity.
“We are a weekly podcast that provides fans with breaking news, guest appearances, and interesting dialogue in the world of college sports,” Gibbs said. “What we bring to the table is non-biased reactions and perspectives to the teams we cover that wouldn’t be seen on platforms such as ON3 or 247 Sports.”
We took the time to play a game with Gibbs to make things entertaining and loose.
– Print Journalism or Digital Journalism?
Donovan: Digital
– Television or Podcast?
Donovan: Podcast
– Favorite Breakfast Meal?
Donovan: Waffles or a bacon egg and cheese sandwich
– Favorite Cold Beverage?
Donovan: Arizona Fruit Punch
– Name 3 of your favorite sports journalists
Donovan: Pablo Torre, Dan Le Batard, and Bomani Jones
– Name 3 travel destinations to cover a major sporting event?
Donovan: Miami, England, Brazil
– FIVE people (dead or alive) that you would love to have a conversation with in person?
Donovan: Stephen A Smith, Kyrie Irving, Brian Baldinger, Rich Paul, Lamar Jackson
Best advice you’ve ever received?
Donovan: My grandma would always tell me, “Keep God in your heart and your determination high. Good things will happen”
The Michigan football cheating scandal was one of the top stories of last season in College Football. It got the sports media talking about it all over the place. The scandal became one of Gibbs’ favorite stories to write about. He enjoys writing any sports stories, but investigative stories and feature pieces are what stand out the most to him.”
“I enjoy all sports stories, but feature pieces and investigative stories have always enticed me,” Gibbs said. “I remember writing about the Michigan Football cheating scandal for my school paper in undergrad. I got a chance to talk to college staff who handle the jobs of scouting and recruiting. I got the opportunity to learn things about the game that I wouldn’t be able to learn through a quick Google search, and those stories are important to continuously spread knowledge about the sports we enjoy watching.”
You can follow Donovan Gibbs and his work on the following platforms:
LinkedIn: Donovan Gibbs | LinkedIn
Donovan Gibbs’s Journalist Portfolio | Muck Rack
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/ch-bN431Stg?si=9LFbkR1rbF2EO4wU
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports and @themmmjournal, LinkedIn: The MMM Journal, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina
