As a boy who played recreational basketball and flag football, Eddie Kalegi faced a sobering realization − he was never going to be a professional athlete.
"I had that sort of social reckoning when I was 12 years old," said Kalegi, a senior at Rutgers University – New Brunswick who is majoring in journalism and media studies with a specialization in sports journalism and a minor in sports management. "Then, I realized, 'Hey, I still want to do something in sports.' "
That something is in sports media.
Kalegi, a Metuchen resident who attends the Rutgers School of Communication and Information, has been on a mission since high school to gain experience in the industry – both behind the mics and cameras as well as in front of them.
He’s been involved with Rutgers Radio (WRSU 88.7 FM) since he was a freshman and has done play-by-play commentary for more than 80 Rutgers sporting events in the past three years.
As a sophom*ore, Kalegi began hosting "Motorsports Today," a show covering the latest in NASCAR, Formula One and IndyCar news airing weekly on WRSU and Spotify.
He also is a member of the broadcast crew for Big Ten Plus, which provides live, student-produced coverage of Rutgers University athletic events.
In addition, Kalegi was a play-by-play announcer for ESPN2’s inaugural "KidsCast" presentation of the Little League World Series and has called high school sports on MSG Network and League Ready. He also is a fill-in studio host for radio broadcasts of Princeton University men’s basketball and Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York City Football Club.
During the summer of 2023, Kalegi was the director for television broadcast for the Somerset Patriots, a professional Minor League Baseball team in Bridgewater, and a AA affiliate of the New York Yankees.
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Now, heading into his senior year, Kalegi is spending his summer as a sports programming intern at satellite radio broadcaster SiriusXM. It’s a hybrid situation − he heads to the company’s New York headquarters on Sixth Avenue once or twice a week − in which the 21-year-old assists the crew behind SiriusXM FC, a channel dedicated entirely to professional soccer.
Part of his responsibilities involve taking notes, "which entails listening intently to the show, marking down what's talked about, what ad reads get in, what guests we have and what sound bites from players and coaches are used," said Kalegi, who also has edited interviews and created promos that are played during the program.
"Eddie has been, in a word, tremendous," said Tim Horsey, the executive producer of SiriusXM FC. "Incredibly bright, picks things up very quickly, has a fantastic work ethic and constantly wants to get better. He never needs to be told things twice. He takes initiative, which is something that is unfortunately lacking with a lot of people. He is hands down one of the best interns we’ve ever had, and I think he’s got an incredibly bright future in this industry."
During his time at SiriusXM, Kalegi has had opportunities to shadow other sports channels, including working with SiriusXM NBA Radio for coverage of the recent NBA draft. While soccer was never his favorite sport, "I've learned so much over the last month and I've started to like it a lot more," Kalegi said.
"Eddie has had wonderful opportunities to gain experience in broadcasting and made the most out of each one," said Steven Miller, a Rutgers professor of professional practice in the School of Communication and Information, where he also is the director of undergraduate studies for journalism and media studies. "He has demonstrated a natural ability to convey game action with maturity and aplomb far beyond his years. He has created a foundation for what could be a long career in his chosen field."
As a student at Metuchen High School, Kalegi noticed there wasn’t a student broadcasting program.
After gaining an interest in the industry following summers at the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp, Kalegi decided to take the initiative. With the help and encouragement of his parents (his father hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, "The Weekend with Ed Kalegi," and is a radio news anchor on Bloomberg stations in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco and SiriusXM), Kalegi started his own media club at the school.
"We’re the Bulldogs," Kalegi said. "So, instead of the 'MHS Podcast,' I called it the 'MHS Pawdcast.' It was a twice-monthly show where me and a few other students interviewed club leaders and students that were doing cool things at the school. We spotlighted organizations, talked to sports coaches and interviewed teachers."
Kalegi noted the "Pawdcast" proved helpful during a challenging time − the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our broadcasts really served an important role then because parents couldn't actually come to the games, and it was the only way to watch their kids play," he said. "So, that was a big deal for us. By that point, I realized sports media was the path I wanted to go down."
Once he graduates in May, Kalegi aims to "secure full-time employment and take more steps towards a career" in sports media.
Kalegi added he was drawn to Rutgers – New Brunswick for its sports journalism program.
"It was one of the reasons I decided to come here," he said. "I saw that they have a specific specialization."
Kalegi, who said he hopes to become a play-by-play announcer "for a team or for a network, most notably in basketball or baseball or football," recalled having a conversation with Miller "right before" decision day, "and he really swayed me with all the opportunities that Rutgers had to offer."
"I ended up coming here and I don't have a single regret because there's so much that I have been able to accomplish already. I feel like it's helped prepare me for what I'm doing now at SiriusXM," Kalegi said.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Aspiring sports broadcaster from Central Jersey finds his voice
