Behind every great news story is a brilliant writer with a passion for both storytelling and people.  

Tim Reynolds, a sportswriter for the Associated Press, has made a name for himself by covering athletic events across the globe. From high school volleyball games in his little New York hometown to NBA Finals: you name it, he’s written about it.  

“Everyone has a story,” he said. “It’s a privilege to get to tell it.”  

Reynolds Zoomed into Communications professor David Blow’s Media Writing class last Friday for an interview with the students. After 33 years of writing, he’s sat down with numerous celebrities, covered 12 Olympics, and met 4 different presidents. With over 91,000 followers on the platform X, Reynold’s words are heard around the world.  

But one of his most notable features for students was just how normal he is.  

Etta Warren, a Media Writing student, said he was “super relatable” and that she “appreciated him being real.”  

Reynolds joined the meeting from a nondescript room in his Florida house. He sat in front a mostly blank wall, wearing a blue button up with his dog – a 14-year-old shih tzu named Mikey – sleeping just off-camera. As he answered questions, he would often pause to think with an accompanying “uhhh,” before jumping into his story with enthusiasm.  

Despite his many achievements, Reynolds was incredibly humble. He confessed to still being super shy and often feeling unqualified or out of place.  

When describing his brief, unplanned encounter with then-president Bill Clinton in Haiti after a devastating hurricane, he said his main thought in the moment was: “What the heck am I doing here?”  

He also said he’s still always nervous going into interviews. If you ever watch clips of him talking to big celebrities, he said, you can spot him often stroking the side of his face- a nervous tic he’s never been able to drop.  

“If you’re not nervous, you’re not really present,” he said. “In a good way though, nerves are just energy. It’s just energy and how you channel it.”  

Reynolds had a never-ending well of advice to share with the class, ranging from what helped him grow as a journalist to why journalism should be appreciated.  

One student asked him what events he typically covered at the Olympics, and he took the opportunity to share what he believed was the “coolest thing [he] ever covered”: watching Kayla Harrison, a mixed martial artist and a former sexual assault survivor, win America’s first gold medal in Women’s Judo.  

He described how she ran past the reporters yelling, “I’m not going to fucking cry! I’m not going to fucking cry!” before stepping onto the podium and immediately bursting into tears. The clear impact of Harrison’s emotions on Reynolds shows just how deeply he cares about telling human stories, not just covering big sports news.He also said the story is a lesson to tell readers what they don’t already know. They knew she won, but they didn’t hear this interaction.  

His biggest takeaway from the moment? “You never know when something awesome is going to happen.”  

Despite Reynolds having covered the same type of content for over thirty years, it’s clear how much he still loves writing.  

“He’s so passionate about his work,” Media Writing student Kylie Bernier noted admiringly. Even (Professor) Blow, Reynold’s longtime friend, said, “I’m in awe of what he does.”  

Reynolds understands that the modern world is full of issues and things to worry about, but sports are a necessity because they offer a break from the stress.  

“We’re the escape hatch from real world problems,” he said.  

He says he hopes he can give people that escape and teach them something new while he’s at it.  

Reynolds also appreciates sports’ ability to unite people. Based near Miami, he’s seen firsthand how language barriers and cultural differences can be overcome by a local team victory.  

“Thousands of people,” he said, “brought together by the simultaneous love or hate for their sports team.”  

Reynolds’ final message to the class was to pay attention to their studies and apply that knowledge in the real world.  

“Every single job in the world is communicating,” he said. “Journalism applies to every field, so use what you learn.”