Jen Hale

This article is about the sportscaster. For the voice actress, see Jennifer Hale. For the unrelated film, see Jennifer Hale (film).
Jen Hale
Hale at Highmark Stadium in September 2021
Born
Jennifer Hale

(1978-02-28) February 28, 1978 (age 46)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Sideline reporter, journalist, author, TV host
Employer(s)Fox Sports
Bally Sports New Orleans

Jennifer Hale (born February 28, 1978)[1][2][3] is an American journalist working for Fox Sports as an NFL sideline reporter where she is currently paired with Chris Myers and Robert Smith.[4] She also covers NBA's New Orleans Pelicans for Bally Sports New Orleans and also covers college football for Fox Sports. She was a substitute host on the Fox Sports 1 shows Skip and Shannon: Undisputed and Lock It In before becoming the full-time moderator for Undisputed in 2022 to 2023. She has covered The Basketball Tournament for ESPN as well as the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She also worked as a sideline reporter for TNT's coverage of the first round of the 2017 NBA playoffs.[5][6]

Early life and education

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Hale is a native of New Orleans, and was raised in Alabama.[7][1] She graduated from Louisiana State University with honors where she was captain of the cheerleading squad, homecoming queen, and Miss LSU.[4] Hale interned for CNN in their Washington D.C. bureau. She also got her Master's from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and spent time in Germany on a fellowship to study the US–Germany relationship after the fall of Communism.[3][8]

Career

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Hale started her journalism career covering politics for KNOE-TV, a station in Monroe, Louisiana, which sent her to Baton Rouge as their capitol correspondent, then she went to WAFB, also in Baton Rouge.[9] When she was a weekend anchor and reporter for WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama, she wrote a book called Historic Plantations of Alabama's Black Belt in 2009.[10][11] She also was a fill-in correspondent for MSNBC during her time in Birmingham.[9] Prior to her Fox Sports career, she was an anchor on WVUE-DT's morning show in New Orleans. She received a call from some friends from LSU to interview former athletes and special guests at LSU football games to put on their website. This and her work with the New Orleans Saints led to people in the Saints organization to recommend Hale to Fox Sports. She added the Pelicans job a year later.[9] She worked as a sideline reporter for TNT's coverage of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs. During the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Hale filled in for Jenny Taft as moderator for Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. She took over as moderator after Taft left the show in February 2022 and was officially named to the position in August 2022.[12] When Undisputed was retooled in August 2023, Hale wasn't a part of the new format. She covered The Basketball Tournament 2020 in Columbus, Ohio for ESPN, staying in the bubble set-up during the COVID-19 pandemic as the only reporter on site.[13]

Personal life

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In 2015, Hale launched All Access Sideline Pass, an organization that focuses on educating and empowering young women in the New Orleans community through outreaches and seminars.[14] She started the foundation after encouragement from former Saints running back Pierre Thomas.[15] She also supports Alzheimer's Research, the Speech and Hearing Impaired Foundation among other causes and she's the Women's Health spokesperson for Thibodaux Regional Hospital.[16] Hale was named one of New Orleans's top female achievers by New Orleans Magazine in 2015.[17] In 2018, Hale revealed in a Women's Health article she co-wrote that she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy during the 2016 NFL season with 16% heart function rate, and she wore a portable defibrillator for six months until medication she took helped get her heart rate back to normal.[2][3][18][19][20][21][22] Since then, she has worked with the American Heart Association, and she is a cross-fit enthusiast.[23][24][25][26][6]

She currently reside in her New Orleans home at French Quarter condo with her family, including her niece D’Vazny,[1] whom she adores and loves a lot. On her social media accounts, Hale announced her engagement on July 18, 2022. By June 2023, that announcement was removed and an engagement ring no longer appeared on her hand.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Jen Hale - Bio, Age, Net Worth, Height, Single, Nationality, Body Measurement, Career - WinkDash". volcom.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  2. ^ a b Hale, Jen; Breit, Carly (2018-08-20). "'I Was A Young, Fit FOX Sports Reporter—But My Heart Was Shutting Down'". Women's Health. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  3. ^ a b c Staff, Advocate (2018-08-22). "LSU alum, Fox Sports mainstay Jennifer Hale tells story of heart condition she never saw coming". The Advocate. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ^ a b "Jennifer Hale". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Hofheimer, Bill (July 31, 2019). "ESPN to Televise The Basketball Tournament Championship Week, Aug. 1–6". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b Trahan, Ken (June 13, 2020). "Interview: Fox Sports broadcaster Jen Hale in depth on Saints, Pelicans, Westminster dog show, her health". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  7. ^ Murret, Patricia M. (2014-11-25). "When not covering the NFL and NBA for FOX Sports, reporter Jennifer Hale retreats to her cozy French Quarter condo". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  8. ^ Lewis, Ted (2015-09-23). "Fox sideline reporter Jennifer Hale always the achiever". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  9. ^ a b c Howell, Allison. "Alumni Spotlight: Jennifer Hale". Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  10. ^ "Landing page". Chicago Newsroom Multisite Network. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  11. ^ "- Historic Plantations of Alabama's Black Belt #4954". www.blackbelttreasures.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  12. ^ Tornoe, Rob (31 August 2022). "Fox Sports adds LeSean McCoy, WFAN and ex-WIP host Craig Carton to FS1 lineup". inquirer.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. ^ Clark, Christian (July 8, 2020). "'It isn't quote, unquote fun, but it's worth it': Pelicans sideline reporter Jennifer Hale describes her bubble experience". nola.com. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  14. ^ "About". Sideline Pass. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  15. ^ Alexander, Andrew (September 14, 2021). "Sideline to Sideline: Jen Hale Covers the NFL, NBA, and the Future of Young Women in New Orleans". whereyat.com. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Jen Hale - Pelicans Sideline Reporter | New Orleans Pelicans | Pelicans.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  17. ^ Meaux, Jolie (2015-07-01). "Jennifer Hale, 2015 New Orleans Top Female Achievers". Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  18. ^ "Jen's Story: My Heart Failure Diagnosis". Women's Health. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  19. ^ Cardé, Leslie (September 30, 2018). "Hidden, wearable defibrillator kept New Orleans' Jen Hale on the job despite heart condition". NOLA.com. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  20. ^ Hendricks, Jaclyn (2018-08-22). "Fox Sports NFL reporter: I was given five years to live". Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  21. ^ Woodhouse, Johnny (2019-04-01). "She never saw it coming". baptistjax.com. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  22. ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (2018-08-22). "Fox Sports' Jen Hale was given five years to live at 38 thanks to heart disease, but has recovered, no longer needs a transplant". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  23. ^ Brody, Lanae (February 24, 2022). "Fox Sports' Jen Hale on How She's Living with Heart Condition Her Colleague Helped Her Discover". People.com. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Wellbeing". 2019-03-18. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  25. ^ Patty, Molly (2019-05-29). "Community Crusader | Jen Hale". Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  26. ^ McLellan, Ashley (2019-05-01). "Success Along the Sideline". Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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