Ernie Johnson, Jr. - Hartman Award Recipient
February 24, 2016 | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2016
UGA Baseball, lettered '75
ABJ Degree, summa cum laude, '78
Television sportscaster and studio host
Ernie Johnson, Jr., has been a national sportscaster and studio host since 1989 with a resume that includes Atlanta Braves baseball, the NBA's award-winning studio show, TNT's PGA Tour coverage, Major League baseball, the NFL, Wimbledon, World Cup Soccer, the 1992, '94, and 2000 Olympic Games and college football.
In May, 2015, Johnson won his third Emmy Award for Best Studio Host after winning Emmys in 2002 and 2006 as Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host.
Ernie lettered as a freshman first baseman on the 1975 UGA baseball team before turning his attention to his broadcasting career. While still a student in 1977, he took a job as the news and sports director at radio station WAGQ-FM in Athens, Georgia. He held that job until 1978, when he graduated from Georgia with a B.A. in journalism, summa cum laude. In 1979, Johnson began his broadcasting career at WMAZ-TV in Macon, Georgia. He worked there as a news anchor until 1981, when he moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina to work as a news reporter at WSPA-TV. Johnson moved back to Georgia in 1982, this time taking a job in Atlanta at WSB-TV as a general assignment news reporter. He became the station's weekend sports anchor and reporter in 1983. He held those jobs until 1989, when he left to join Turner Sports.
From 1993 to 1996, Johnson called Atlanta Braves baseball games for SportSouth (now FSN South) with his father, Ernie Johnson Sr., a former Major League baseball pitcher and Braves play-by-play announcer.
Known as "E.J.", Johnson currently works as the studio host for TNT's coverage of the NBA, including pregame and halftime shows, and the network's famous postgame studio show that airs after each NBA doubleheader, Inside the NBA. He has hosted the show since 1990.
For all NBA-related shows, Johnson is joined by former NBA stars Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and, on occasion, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, or Reggie Miller. In the 2012-2013 regular season he was joined by Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and Dennis Scott while Smith and Barkley covered March Madness on CBS.
In addition to working basketball, Johnson is also the play-by-play announcer for TNT's PGA Tour coverage. At TBS, Johnson worked as the studio host for their coverage of college football. In 2002, Johnson was co-winner of the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host, tying with Bob Costas of NBC and HBO. It was the first time Johnson had been nominated for a Sports Emmy. In 2006, Johnson won the award again, this time on his own, snapping Costas' six-year stranglehold on it, including the year the two shared the honor. From 2007 to 2009, Johnson worked as the studio host alongside Cal Ripken, Jr. for TBS's coverage of Major League Baseball.
In 2010, he moved into a play-by-play role for the network, serving as the lead broadcaster for TBS' playoff coverage, including the 2010 ALCS. He also broadcast 40 Atlanta Braves games on sister channel Peachtree TV. He was the studio host for TNT's coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Johnson's past work at TNT included roles as studio host for The Championships, Wimbledon from 2000 to 2002, studio host for its National Football League coverage from 1990 to 1997, and various duties at the 1994, 1998, and 2001 Goodwill Games, as well as the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France and the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He also co-hosted Barkley's now-defunct talk show, Listen Up! Past work at TBS also included working as studio host for their NBA coverage. Johnson also called weightlifting for NBC's coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also serves as a studio host for the NCAA tournament for CBS and Turner Sports alternating with Greg Gumbel. In 2015, Johnson won his third Sports Emmy for Best Studio Host, but he forfeited to the late Stuart Scott, who died in January 2015; Scott's daughters accepted the award.
Johnson and his wife, Cheryl, a licensed professional counselor, live in Braselton, Georgia and have two biological children (one son, named Eric, and one daughter, named Maggie) and four adopted children (a son Michael, adopted from Romania, daughter Carmen, adopted from Paraguay and daughters Ashley and Allison adopted domestically through foster care). A Christian since 1997, he works on a regular basis with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Athletes in Action (AIA) and Samaritan's Feet, a nonprofit organization which has a mission of putting 10 million pairs of shoes on 10 million kids' feet worldwide over the next ten years. Johnson is a devoted Atlanta Braves fan. He is an Atlanta native and attended high school at Marist School.
In 2003, Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but continued his work through June 2006, when he began treatment. Due to his cancer, Johnson missed TNT's coverage of the British Open and PGA Championship, the last two golf major tournaments in 2006. Johnson returned to Inside the NBA on October 31, 2006, while continuing his Chemotherapy treatments.
Ernie Johnson, Jr.
UGA Baseball, lettered '75
ABJ Degree, summa cum laude, '78
Television sportscaster and studio host
Ernie Johnson, Jr., has been a national sportscaster and studio host since 1989 with a resume that includes Atlanta Braves baseball, the NBA's award-winning studio show, TNT's PGA Tour coverage, Major League baseball, the NFL, Wimbledon, World Cup Soccer, the 1992, '94, and 2000 Olympic Games and college football.
In May, 2015, Johnson won his third Emmy Award for Best Studio Host after winning Emmys in 2002 and 2006 as Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host.
Ernie lettered as a freshman first baseman on the 1975 UGA baseball team before turning his attention to his broadcasting career. While still a student in 1977, he took a job as the news and sports director at radio station WAGQ-FM in Athens, Georgia. He held that job until 1978, when he graduated from Georgia with a B.A. in journalism, summa cum laude. In 1979, Johnson began his broadcasting career at WMAZ-TV in Macon, Georgia. He worked there as a news anchor until 1981, when he moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina to work as a news reporter at WSPA-TV. Johnson moved back to Georgia in 1982, this time taking a job in Atlanta at WSB-TV as a general assignment news reporter. He became the station's weekend sports anchor and reporter in 1983. He held those jobs until 1989, when he left to join Turner Sports.
From 1993 to 1996, Johnson called Atlanta Braves baseball games for SportSouth (now FSN South) with his father, Ernie Johnson Sr., a former Major League baseball pitcher and Braves play-by-play announcer.
Known as "E.J.", Johnson currently works as the studio host for TNT's coverage of the NBA, including pregame and halftime shows, and the network's famous postgame studio show that airs after each NBA doubleheader, Inside the NBA. He has hosted the show since 1990.
For all NBA-related shows, Johnson is joined by former NBA stars Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and, on occasion, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, or Reggie Miller. In the 2012-2013 regular season he was joined by Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and Dennis Scott while Smith and Barkley covered March Madness on CBS.
In addition to working basketball, Johnson is also the play-by-play announcer for TNT's PGA Tour coverage. At TBS, Johnson worked as the studio host for their coverage of college football. In 2002, Johnson was co-winner of the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host, tying with Bob Costas of NBC and HBO. It was the first time Johnson had been nominated for a Sports Emmy. In 2006, Johnson won the award again, this time on his own, snapping Costas' six-year stranglehold on it, including the year the two shared the honor. From 2007 to 2009, Johnson worked as the studio host alongside Cal Ripken, Jr. for TBS's coverage of Major League Baseball.
In 2010, he moved into a play-by-play role for the network, serving as the lead broadcaster for TBS' playoff coverage, including the 2010 ALCS. He also broadcast 40 Atlanta Braves games on sister channel Peachtree TV. He was the studio host for TNT's coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Johnson's past work at TNT included roles as studio host for The Championships, Wimbledon from 2000 to 2002, studio host for its National Football League coverage from 1990 to 1997, and various duties at the 1994, 1998, and 2001 Goodwill Games, as well as the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France and the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He also co-hosted Barkley's now-defunct talk show, Listen Up! Past work at TBS also included working as studio host for their NBA coverage. Johnson also called weightlifting for NBC's coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also serves as a studio host for the NCAA tournament for CBS and Turner Sports alternating with Greg Gumbel. In 2015, Johnson won his third Sports Emmy for Best Studio Host, but he forfeited to the late Stuart Scott, who died in January 2015; Scott's daughters accepted the award.
Johnson and his wife, Cheryl, a licensed professional counselor, live in Braselton, Georgia and have two biological children (one son, named Eric, and one daughter, named Maggie) and four adopted children (a son Michael, adopted from Romania, daughter Carmen, adopted from Paraguay and daughters Ashley and Allison adopted domestically through foster care). A Christian since 1997, he works on a regular basis with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Athletes in Action (AIA) and Samaritan's Feet, a nonprofit organization which has a mission of putting 10 million pairs of shoes on 10 million kids' feet worldwide over the next ten years. Johnson is a devoted Atlanta Braves fan. He is an Atlanta native and attended high school at Marist School.
In 2003, Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but continued his work through June 2006, when he began treatment. Due to his cancer, Johnson missed TNT's coverage of the British Open and PGA Championship, the last two golf major tournaments in 2006. Johnson returned to Inside the NBA on October 31, 2006, while continuing his Chemotherapy treatments.
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