When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Todd Grisham has done that and then some in the sports media industry. While growing up in the south, Todd figured out his passion and chased his dream while enjoying the journey.

Todd most known from his run with WWE, is now a staple at ESPN next to his good friend Jonathan Coachman as they made the successful transition form the Entertainment world to the top of the sports media industry.

Randy Zellea of Back Sports Page recently caught up with Todd to discuss his journey to ESPN and the road he took to get there. Todd spoke openly about his time in WWE, getting his opportunity, CM Punk in the UFC and much more.

Q: Did you always want to get into broadcasting?

A: I was always listening to Djs on the radio as a kid. I really didn’t want to do music per say but I loved the idea. I always loved the idea of being like a WolfMan jack or a Casey Kasem, I love listening to those guys. I also loved turning the sound down and doing the play by play. At that point I knew it was something I always wanted to do.

Q:Where did you grow up?

A: I was born in Mississippi and raised in South Alabama. A good portion of my growing up was down in Alabama.

Q: Can you tell us about your first experiences in the industry?

A: The First Time I was on the air was when I was in college at West Georgia University. I walked in and told them what I wanted to do. They let me come in and push buttons from 12 am to 6am and play commercials all night. After a few months they let me talk. I did that 12am-6am shift on Sundays when maybe 400 people were listening, but I was like a pig in mud. At 18 years old I was on the air and excited about it. It was great.

Q: Was it a fun experience? How crazy was it for you?

A: It was such a small town, and such a small station at such an obscure time. I had the ability to say what I would and nobody really cared. I screwed up a bunch and licked my wounds and got better.

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