Seth Wickersham

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Seth Wickersham is an American sports journalist for ESPN and ESPN The Magazine . [1] [2] [3] [4]

Wickersham is native of Anchorage, Alaska [3] and attended Robert Service High School. He has written for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine since graduating from the University of Missouri in 2000. His work primarily covers the National Football League (NFL) and has been featured on Outside the Lines , SportsCenter , NFL Live , The Ryen Russillo Show , and E:60 . [2] In his 18 years at ESPN, he has profiled the likes of Tom Brady, [5] Peyton Manning, [6] Bill Belichick, [7] John Elway, [8] Odell Beckham, Jr., [9] Bill Walsh, [10] Jim Harbaugh, [11] and Y.A. Tittle, [12] among others, and he has written deep dives into strained relationships within the Cleveland Browns, [13] Seattle Seahawks [14] and the New England Patriots. [15] Along with senior writer Don Van Natta, Wickersham has written critically acclaimed investigations on the NFL's handling of the Spygate and Deflategate cheating controversies, [16] the Rams [17] and Raiders [18] franchise relocations, the behind-closed-doors meetings on the inequality protests, [19] and the efforts by Jerry Jones to block Roger Goodell’s contract extension. [20]

An October 2022 story [21] by Wickersham, Tisha Thompson, and Don Van Natta Jr. is widely credited with triggering the push for former Commanders owner Dan Snyder to sell the franchise.

A December 2022 story by Wickersham detailed Andrew Luck’s decision to retire from the NFL, the first time Luck had spoken about it.

Wickersham has also broken many news stories, including on tension among NFL owners over a $790 billion settlement between Stan Kroenke, the league, and St. Louis, and the unique restrictions on Tom Brady as a broadcaster.

Outside of the NFL, Wickersham has written about Gregg Popovich, [22] race horse euthanasia, [23] the plight of a fired college basketball coach, [24] suicidal Kenyan runners in Alaska, [25] Bangkok ping-pong championships, and NCAA compliance officers. [26] He also once interviewed legendary Queen guitarist Brian May about “We Will Rock You,” the most-played stadium anthem ever. [27]

In 2018, Wickersham was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for Reporting. [28] His stories have been anthologized in the Best American Magazine Writing, [29] the Best American Sports Writing, [30] , The Year's Best Sports Writing [31] Next Wave: America's New Generation of Great Literary Journalists [32] , and in Words Matter: Writing to Make a Difference. [33] He has won awards from the National Association of Black Journalists [34] and the Pro Football Writers Association. [35] He and Van Natta were named The Big Lead's [36] Sportswriter of the Year in 2023. [37]

In the fall of 2021, Wickersham’s book It’s Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness was released. It was a New York Times bestseller and was named Nonfiction Book of the Year by Sports Illustrated. [38]  

Wickersham's second book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, will be published on September 9, 2025. [39] A collection of his work will follow.

He is cousins with comic and actor Nick Swardson, and Metropolitan Opera musician Jason Haaheim.

He is credited as playing himself in the 2014 movie Draft Day, though the scene was cut before it was shot. [40]

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References

  1. ↑ Axelrod, Ben (January 24, 2019). "New report details Cleveland Browns' dysfunction under Jimmy Haslam". WKYC. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Yang, Angela (August 4, 2017). "ESPN Signs Seth Wickersham to New Extension, Adds Joel Anderson and Phil Steele to Multiplatform Editorial Team". ESPN. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Thompson, Wright; Stout, Glenn (2015). The Best American Sports Writing 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 365. ISBN   978-0544462670 . Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  4. ↑ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (November 7, 2017). "Author of ESPN story on Tom Brady responds to Bill Belichick's 'fake news' criticism". Boston.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The Mag: Tom Brady's charmed life". ESPN.com. April 15, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  6. ↑ "NFL: The truth about Peyton". ESPN.com. November 26, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ↑ "IT TAKES A GENIUS". ESPN.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Why John Elway's drive never ends". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Odell Beckham: The joy vs. the grind". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ↑ "The Mag: Bill Walsh's Super Bowl road map". ESPN.com. January 24, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Wickersham: 49ers' Harbaugh welcomes chaos". ESPN.com. October 2, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Wickersham: Y.A. Tittle's final trip home". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Inside the Browns' front office, where hope and history collide". ESPN.com. January 24, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Richard Sherman won't let go, and it's a problem". ESPN.com. May 25, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  15. ↑ "For Kraft, Brady and Belichick, is this the beginning of the end?". ESPN.com. January 5, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart". ESPN.com. September 8, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Inside the NFL's wild return to LA". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Sin City or Bust: How the Raiders went Vegas, baby". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ "How the NFL, players forged anthem detente amid gaffes, TV ratings concerns". ESPN.com. October 27, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  20. ↑ "OTL: NFL teeters on all-out, unprecedented civil war". ESPN.com. November 17, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Sources: Snyder claims 'dirt' on NFL owners, Goodell". ESPN.com. October 13, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  22. ↑ "NBA: Spurs are not made in America". ESPN.com. June 11, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  23. ↑ "THE FINAL FURLONG". ESPN.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  24. ↑ "BOXED OUT". ESPN.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  25. ↑ "The Mag: Marko Cheseto's tragic run". ESPN.com. May 11, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Wickersham: Examining NCAA compliance". ESPN.com. August 11, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  27. ↑ "WE WILL ROCK YOU". ESPN.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Winners and Finalists Database". ASME. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  29. ↑ Holt, Sid, ed. (December 2018). The Best American Magazine Writing 2018. Columbia University Press. ISBN   9780231548656.
  30. ↑ Telander, Rick, ed. (2016). The best American sports writing. Boston. ISBN   978-0-544-61731-5. OCLC   959716877.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  31. ↑ "The Year's Best Sports Writing 2024". www.triumphbooks.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  32. ↑ Harrington, Walt; Sager, Mike (2012). Next Wave: America's New Generation of Great Literary Journalists: Mike Sager, Walt Harrington: 9781481160896: Amazon.com: Books. Sager. ISBN   978-1481160896.
  33. ↑ Dahling, Amanda; Blakely, Mary Kay (April 26, 2016). Words Matter: Writing to Make a Difference: Mary Kay Blakely, Amanda Dahling: 9780826220899: Amazon.com: Books. University of Missouri Press. ISBN   978-0826220899.
  34. ↑ "2018 Salute to Excellence Winners - National Association of Black Journalists". www.nabj.org. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  35. ↑ PFWA (October 13, 2016). "PFWA announces 2016 Dick Connor Writing Awards" . Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  36. ↑ "The Big Lead", Wikipedia, September 8, 2024, retrieved January 17, 2025
  37. ↑ "2023 Sports Media Awards". The Big Lead. December 6, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 31, 2021 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  39. ↑ "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback" . Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Wickersham: Behind the scene in 'Draft Day'". ESPN.com. April 7, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2019.


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