Profiles of Tenacity: Nigel Whittington

Nigel Whittington is a fourth-year journalism major from Cartersville, GA set to graduate in May 2025. Along with his journalism degree, Whittington is pursuing a certificate in sports media. He has a passion for sports journalism and has gained real-world experience through his time with both Fox 5 Atlanta and the Marietta Daily Journal.

Read his Q/A below.

Why did you choose your major?

I grew up in a family where journalism was important. My father is a Marine and was deployed twice while I was really young. I remember watching the news with my mother and sister for updates on the war in Iraq and having to constantly pester my mom with the question of “when is daddy coming home?” For my family, especially my mother, we depended on journalism for updates on when a huge piece of our family would be returning home. My aunt and sister were also reporters. This, coupled with my sibling rivalry and drive to constantly be better than my sister, made me decide in eighth grade that journalism would be my major. 

What does tenacity mean to you?

To me, tenacity is having a strong will and an unexplainable drive to keep moving forward. That is what separates people from the everyday crowd. I think it’s constantly reminding yourself of the goal ahead of you instead of the obstacles in front of you and seeing every step of the journey, rather it be steps back or steps forward, as integral steps of your journey. 

What is one piece of advice that you would give to other Grady students?

Grady professors had lives and careers before they became your professors. Until entering Grady, I often forgot that, but I realized often we want to hear from people who know how the industry works. When so many of the Grady professors have been journalists and can sit down with you and speak on things like fatigue, stress and other things  their experience can show. They are your professors but they are also some of the best resources you can ever have. Use them.

What motivates you?

The impact that journalism has. You’d be surprised how many people have stories that need to be told. You see people at the highest and lowest points of their lives and how you represent them means everything. I’ve interviewed a number one overall NBA draft pick, recalling the happiest moment of his life and learned the story of a grieving Apalachee high school student using music to honor the memory of his teacher. Losing motivation happens often to journalists, as it has happened to me, but seeing the smiles on people’s faces watching and reading the stories I produced keeps me motivated even when I struggle to find that motivation. 

What or who has had the biggest impact on your life during your time at UGA?

Professor Carlo Finlay. I remember walking into his office, my sophomore year as a scared teenager who didn’t know what I wanted to do with my journalism degree, watching people grab internships and just feeling so far behind. I was told by a friend that he was a part of the sports media certificate and could help me in the internship search. I told him my story, and without hesitation he shot out an email to the sports editor at the Marietta Daily Journal. Finlay barely knew me. We never had a class together, but he took the time out of his day to help me take a step towards my goal. It made the biggest impact on not only my career, but my view on how we should treat people as a whole.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the past year?

Last summer I interned as a sports reporter at Fox 5 Atlanta. We were covering a Tuesday matchup between Atlanta United and New York City FC. Atlanta scored their fastest goal in club history and added another later in the game with most people believing Atlanta was going to easily win. The team ended up tying with what seemed like a crushing collapse for Atlanta United and the team had a quick turn around with a match that weekend as well. After the game we headed to the locker room to interview the goalie. I remember his expression of utter disappointment. His eyes never met any of our faces but there was almost a sense of fear from the other reporters. There was a basic starter question which he gave a quick response to, and then there was dead silence. He was putting on his coat and asked, “anything else, or can I leave?” My heart was pounding, but I asked something along the lines of, “With such a quick turnaround how do you make sure the mistakes that happened today don’t happen in the next match this weekend?” The goalie paused, looked at me, and said, “That’s a great question.” My head was pounding so hard from the nervousness I never remembered what he said after that, but in that small moment, I felt proud of myself for taking initiative and proving that I could be more than just an intern. At that moment I remembered I was a journalist just like everyone else there. 

Where’s your favorite place on campus and why?

I love the Sports Media Suite at the top of Grady. The beanbags and dimmer lights just create an atmosphere that helps me unwind. Which is needed after long days. It’s a chill place to study, and it feels like it’s Grady’s own secret paradise.

What advice would you give to your freshman self?

I used to get caught up in my mistakes and my what if’s. I constantly would look back on my mistakes or my life and just think “If I knew what I know now, I wouldn’t have made all the mistakes I made.” I slowly realized that while that is true, there’s a second part to that: If I hadn’t made all those mistakes, I’d never know what I know now. That’s to say don’t get caught up in your mistakes. You either win or you learn, but as long as you learn from your mistakes then you never truly lose. 

Editor: Madden Callahan, emc50486@uga.edu