Recently, young journalist, Jeremiah Fennell, captured the hearts of NFL players and fans. In the lead up to the Super Bowl, all eyes were on him in Las Vegas as he conducted interviews with charm and confidence. At the tender age of 11, Jeremiah had 49ers George Kittle asking “Goodness gracious, do you have a teleprompter somewhere?”
Not only is Jeremiah’s talent extraordinary, but his story is also awe-inspiring, with his early years being marked by significant health challenges. Born on October 5, 2012, he has been referred to by his parents as a miracle baby, having beat all of the odds stacked against him. At a young age, and following multiple ultrasounds and blood tests, it was revealed that he had a detached right clavicle, in addition to brain abnormalities. Due to concerns about the possibility of hearing loss, the first language that he learned was sign language (ASL). When his mother was told that he may have learning difficulties, she taught him reading and writing, while he underwent occupational, physical and speech therapy.
In spite of these challenges, his love for sports was transformative. At 2 1/2 years old, although he could barely form full sentences, he became a different person when watching sports. According to the biography on his website, “his face would light up and he would commentate play-by-play while watching the Raiders games on TV”. At 4 years old he would pretend to interview different players on his favorite team, the Las Vegas Raiders, eventually expressing his hopes of working for the Raiders one day. Although his health conditions prevented him from playing contact sports, he made a deal with his parents that he would play t-ball, flag football and bitty basketball for one year, after which he would focus on journalism.
Wanting to remain connected to the world of sports, he started a YouTube channel at the age of 7, where he would give commentary on the Raiders. He was later contacted by Las Vegas Fox 5 Surprise Squad to meet some of his favorite broadcasters. In December 2022, Jeremiah was invited to a Raiders vs Chiefs game, where his interview with the Raiders wide receiver, Davante Adams, went viral on social media. Impressed with his poise and professionalism, the NFL invited Jeremiah to the Super Bowl LVIII.
In 2023, Jeremiah was featured on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where his confidence and intelligence stole the spotlight. During this interview, he told Jennifer Hudson that what is driving him is his desire to make his parents proud at a young age. Referring to his father as a “senior citizen” and opening up about his mother’s health issues, he said:
“For a month, I didn’t see my mom because she was in ICU and those were the worst 30 days of my life. I had a long talk with God and told him, ‘If you can bring my mom back, I would be the greatest son that I could ever be.”
With his zeal, we’ll definitely be seeing more of him! Keep making us all proud Jeremiah!
