Game Time

Jeremy Willis gets paid to watch football. As an ESPN senior editor, the Florida State University alumnus details the statistics, the personalities, the upsets, and every other exciting aspect of college football happening on and off the field for millions of readers across the world.

“Landing the ESPN job amplified my voice at a whole new level while allowing me to tell stories that people are passionate about,” Willis said. “Whether a family has followed a team for years or someone is just learning the rules of the game, everyone has a different reason to enjoy the game, and that’s what makes it special.”

After completing his bachelor’s at FSU in 2004 with double majors in English and sports management from the Department of English and the then-College of Health and Human Sciences, Willis got his foot in the door at ESPN. He went on to hold various roles at the network, ranging from associate news manager to senior NFL editor. As part of his current role as editor for the company’s college football coverage, he also oversees ESPN+, the network’s premium streaming service, which amplifies college football recruitment and transfer portal news.

“Jeremy is a thoughtful writer who leads with heart,” said Heather Burns, ESPN senior deputy editor. “He’s passionate about making sure the next generation has all the tools they need to continue the important work of journalism. His curiosity about the world makes him exactly the kind of person you want on your team.”

Before writing for the world’s largest sports network, Willis got his start during his freshman year with the Florida Flambeau, which merged with FSView in 1998 to become FSU’s official student-run newspaper. He also worked as an equipment manager for FSU Football during the Bobby Bowden dynasty, traveling with the team and covering games and the local Tallahassee police beat for FSView when he wasn’t doing players’ and coaches’ gameday laundry and building lifelong connections.

“My writing roles taught me how to talk to people that do different jobs,” Willis said. “The trust people put in you to treat them fairly and report accurately is important, as is building the relationships that elicit trust. These skills carried over into my sports management classes and involvement with the team and eventually my career with ESPN, as it all came back to talking to people. Having people genuinely believe in you and your ideas is valuable, and I wanted to return the favor and provide that feeling to future journalists.”

Due to ESPN’s on-site work regulations, it was at first logistically tricky for Willis, who lived in Connecticut at the time, to connect with FSU students and supply active mentorship. However, through the proliferation of accessible technology, including the Zoom boom that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Willis was able to share his expertise through FSUshadow, a one-day job shadowing experience facilitated by the FSU Career Center where students gain firsthand experience in the career field of their choice and have the chance to network with potential employers.

“As an alumnus, attending career-oriented virtual events and being a part of the FSUshadow Program truly flipped a switch for me,” Willis said. “Working with students and getting to see their zeal for FSU reignited my passion for the university. I now organize panels with colleagues from all over ESPN, including production, multimedia television, finance, and communications to give students an inside look at what it’s like to work for a major media network.”

In summer 2023, Willis was invited to join the FSU National Board of Directors, which works to ensure the success of the FSU Alumni Association by approving annual budgets, setting policies, and supporting FSU’s Strategic Plan by providing input, guidance, oversight and expertise for the association’s operations. As one of 24 directors, he utilizes his current and past FSU experiences to provide a unique perspective to the association’s chief governing body.

“FSU is a community, and everyone has a responsibility to that,” Willis said. “As alumni, we should continue supporting this community and ensure that the next generation of students, in this well-bound institution that gave us all so much, has similar resources and opportunities.”

Bella Bozied is an FSU alumna who earned a bachelor’s degree in information, communication and technology with a dual major in editing, writing and media in 2024. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in integrated marketing management communication with a certification in project management and is set to graduate in May 2026.