The Undefeated, ESPN's new platform focusing on the intersection of sports, race and culture, has added three journalists to its staff. The new journalists - Domonique Foxworth, LZ Granderson and Mark W. Wright - bring a wide range of experiences as content providers to the platform which launched on May 17, 2016.
Foxworth, a former president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), brings his vast knowledge of issues and topics beyond the playing field to his role as a multiplatform analyst. He will add his unique perspective to topical issues the day. Granderson, who has dual roles as journalist and commentator for
CNN and ESPN, will contribute regular columns and essays for The Undefeated.
Wright, a former
ESPN The Magazine writer/reporter and
ESPN Films' producer, will be responsible for building the relationships between The Undefeated and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), one of the four primary content verticals for the site. Additionally, Wright will oversee efforts by The Undefeated to align with two important HBCU sporting events televised by ESPN, the Air Force Reserve
CELEBRATION BOWL and the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, as well as the development of a season-long HBCU national band competition.
"Dom, LZ and Mark add so many dimensions to The Undefeated. They are all great thinkers, extraordinarily versatile, and a joy to be around," said Kevin Merida,
ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of The Undefeated. "We are grateful to have them as we continue to develop our identity and expand our reach."
Foxworth is a former NFL cornerback who played for three teams - the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens. In 2012, he became one of the youngest players to be elected president of the NFLPA. He was drafted 97th in the 2005
NFL DRAFT by the Broncos. Throughout his professional career, Foxworth was involved in charitable projects in the community. In Denver, he took a leadership role working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to fund raise and plan the creation of the Darrent Williams Memorial Center - a center named in honor of his murdered Broncos teammate to provide scholastic retreat for teens. In 2010, the Baltimore Sun presented Foxworth with its first Tim Wheatley Award for community service for the Baltimore BORN initiative designed to provide lower income boys in local high schools with resources and networking opportunities. After retiring from professional football, Foxworth attended and was graduated from Harvard Business School (2013-15).
Granderson writes a weekly column for CNN.com and serves as a television commentator for the network. He is also a senior writer and columnist for
ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, as well as a contributor to several
ESPN television news and information programs including SportsCenter, Outside the Lines,
AROUND THE HORN and SportsNation. Granderson provides commentary on ESPN's telecasts of two tennis majors - Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. His work has earned critical acclaim, including winning the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) award for online journalism in 2009.
Wright, an
ESPN veteran, has been a writer/reporter at
ESPN The Magazine. He oversaw digital and social platforms for Charlotte-based
ESPN Events, and most recently, was a producer and writer of the
ESPN Films' "Redemption Song" documentary short - the story of the 1974 Howard University NCAA Division I soccer champion - currently archived at
www.TheUndefeated.com.
