Photo courtesy of MJ Newsom.
Vestavia Hills High School graduate MJ Newsom is the new play-by-play announcer for New Mexico State University athletics.
Over the past year, MJ Newsom often thought about what his 8-year-old self would say about him today.
Those thoughts came during a particularly grueling period for him. Newsom, whom the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America considered one of the top collegiate sports broadcasters in the country during his senior year at the University of Southern California, kept a busy schedule as the play-by-play announcer for USC Pomona-Pitzer. However, the part-time gig wasn’t enough to pay the bills, forcing the 23-year-old Vestavia Hills native to pivot.
During the day, Newsom worked as a receptionist at a dermatology office just outside Los Angeles. At night, he would cover as many games as he could, all while trying to hone his craft and make enough connections to fulfill his childhood dream: becoming a full-time sportscaster for a Division I team. At the time, he gave himself until he was 30 to “make it” or find something else to do.
“I wanted it for too long and it would've been foolish in me to just give that up,” he said. “I would always think about what 8-year-old MJ would say if 23-year-old MJ said he was going to hang it up.”
In July, Newsom finally got his big break as the “Voice of the Aggies,” the newest play-by-play announcer for New Mexico State University.
“We're excited to welcome MJ to our athletics department,” NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields said in a statement. “He's an outstanding broadcaster with exceptional play-by-play talent and a creative approach to content creation. His energy and professionalism will help elevate our department, and he'll be a tremendous ambassador for the Aggies.”
It’s the latest stop on a long trip for Newsom, from calling freshman football games as a sophomore at Vestavia Hills High School to covering USC sports as an announcer and co-director of KXSC, the student radio station at USC.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “I’m blessed to represent such a great athletic program.”
Right now, Newsom is juggling a lot. In addition to getting ready for his move to Las Cruces, New Mexico, he’s also doing as much preparation as he can to get ready before Aug. 29, when the football team takes on Florida State. That preparation, among other things, has included trying to understand the team’s storyline, from its past to what it hopes the future will bring.
“I do as much research as possible, trying to understand what happened last season, why it’s important and what the storylines are going into the season,” he said.
More importantly, Newsom has also been putting in a lot of time understanding the New Mexico State community and what is important to them.
“One thing I do understand is Las Cruces is a hardworking culture,” he said. “It's a place where you have to roll up your sleeves and get to work because that's what the people expect.”
It’s a mindset Newsom understands, one he feels has helped him get to where he is today and where he could be tomorrow.
“I’ve always been willing to do whatever it took,” he said.
Now, as Newsom gets ready for his new job, he feels overwhelmingly grateful for what he has.
“Just getting to wear that hat and go out and represent the university, that means a lot to me,” he said.
