Jennifer Hammond is an Emmy-winning sports reporter with FOX 2 Detroit.
She has spent more than two decades covering Detroit sports and has built a long career in television and radio broadcasting.
Hammond developed an interest in sports reporting when she was a child. Her first experiences included recording pretend sports reports and working on school announcements.
Her career later took her through radio, traffic reporting and local television. She eventually returned to Detroit and joined FOX 2 full time in 1997.
Today, Hammond continues to report on Detroit sports and remains a familiar face to FOX 2 viewers.
| Jennifer Hammond Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jennifer Hammond |
| Profession | Sports Reporter |
| Current Network | FOX 2 Detroit |
| Current Role | Sports Reporter |
| Joined FOX 2 | 1997 |
| Education | Western Michigan University |
| Degree | Broadcast Communications |
| High School | Birmingham Seaholm High School |
| College Years | 1983–1988 |
| Previous Employer | WDFN |
| Previous Roles | Traffic Reporter, Sports Anchor, Radio Reporter |
| Emmy Awards | 2 |
| Notable Coverage | Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons |
| College Sports Coverage | Michigan and Michigan State |
| Known For | Detroit sports reporting |
Who is FOX 2 Sports Reporter Jennifer Hammond?
Jennifer Hammond is a sports reporter for FOX 2 Detroit.
She has covered professional and college sports throughout her career, with a particular focus on teams in the Detroit area.
Her reporting has included the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons. She has also covered Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball.
Hammond joined FOX 2’s sports department full time in 1997.
Before that, she had already worked with the station as a freelancer while covering Detroit sports.
Her career has included several different roles in broadcasting. She worked in radio, reported traffic in Chicago and later moved into television sports reporting.
Early Life of Jennifer Hammond
Jennifer Hammond was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her family moved to the Detroit area in 1975, where she grew up.
Her interest in sports broadcasting started at a very young age. Hammond has recalled that her father gave her a microphone and tape recorder when she was five years old.
She used the equipment to make pretend broadcasts. Among her early recordings was the phrase, “Hello Sports fans!”
By junior high school, Hammond was already watching Monday Night Football and typing out player lineups.
She would pretend to report on the games and create simulated live reports.
That early interest eventually became the career she had imagined for herself.
Jennifer Hammond’s High School Years
Hammond attended Birmingham Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan.
Her first on-camera experience came while she was in high school. She worked on the school’s morning announcements and gained early experience speaking in front of an audience.
She graduated from Seaholm in 1983. By then, Hammond already knew she wanted to pursue broadcasting.
Her interest was not limited to watching sports. She wanted to be part of the coverage and tell stories about athletes and teams.
That goal continued when she entered college.
Where Did Jennifer Hammond Go to College?
Jennifer Hammond attended Western Michigan University from 1983 to 1988.
She studied Broadcast Communications and also pursued minors in English and Journalism, according to her professional biography.
While at Western Michigan, Hammond worked in the university’s Sports Information Department. She covered football, women’s gymnastics and basketball.
The position gave her an early opportunity to report on college athletics.
She also interviewed people connected to the sports world, including former Miami Dolphins linebacker John Offerdahl and coach Jack Harbaugh.
Her college years also gave Hammond valuable radio experience.
Early Radio Career
While attending Western Michigan University, Hammond worked at Kalamazoo radio stations WQLR and WQSN.
Her work included a wide range of broadcasting duties. She played commercials for Notre Dame football and Cubs baseball broadcasts while also covering local government meetings.
She reported on city commission and school board meetings as part of her radio work.
Although those assignments were not always sports-related, they helped Hammond improve her broadcasting skills.
They also gave her experience working with different types of stories.
After graduating, she decided to take a major step toward her television career.
Jennifer Hammond’s Move to Chicago
After college, Hammond moved back to Chicago to pursue opportunities in broadcasting.
She initially worked as a receptionist at an audio production company. The position allowed her to meet people in the industry while she continued improving her audition tape.
She later received an opportunity with Shadow Traffic after completing two weeks of unpaid training.
Hammond eventually secured a full-time position with the company. She spent about three years working in traffic reporting.
Her work involved providing travel information for Chicago-area drivers, including people traveling to and from O’Hare.
Although traffic reporting was different from sports, it gave Hammond valuable live broadcasting experience.
Jennifer Hammond at CLTV
Hammond eventually moved into television with CLTV, a Tribune-owned station in the Chicago area.
She started by reporting morning traffic and working from the station’s traffic set. The position gave her another opportunity to develop her on-camera skills.
Her role later changed when the morning sports anchor decided not to continue reading the sports segment.
Hammond stepped in and took over the morning sports report. The opportunity brought her back to the type of broadcasting she had wanted to pursue since childhood.
It also helped put her career back on the path toward sports reporting.
Jennifer Hammond Returns to Detroit
In 1994, Hammond returned to Detroit.
Detroit’s first all-sports talk station, WDFN, was preparing to launch. Hammond contacted program director Lorna Gladstone to arrange a meeting.
She was hired and began covering sports across the Detroit market.
At WDFN, Hammond reported on the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons. She also covered Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball.
The job allowed her to build a strong local sports resume. It also brought her closer to the television sports career she had wanted since she was young.
How Did Jennifer Hammond Join FOX 2?
Hammond first worked with FOX 2 as a freelancer.
Her assignments included Lions pregame coverage and reports on the Detroit Red Wings during their Stanley Cup runs.
A major opportunity came during the Red Wings’ 1997 Stanley Cup parade. Hammond was covering the event as a freelancer when FOX 2’s news director decided to offer her a full-time position.
In November 1997, Hammond joined FOX 2’s sports department as its number-three sports reporter.
The position put her in the field covering major sporting events. It also marked the beginning of a long-term career with the station.
Jennifer Hammond’s Career at FOX 2 Detroit
Hammond has remained with FOX 2 since joining its full-time sports department in 1997.
Over the years, she has covered some of the biggest professional and college teams in Michigan. Her work has included the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons, along with Michigan and Michigan State athletics.
Her reporting has taken her to games, training camps, interviews and major sporting events. She has also covered stories involving athletes, coaches and the wider Detroit sports community.
Hammond has described her FOX 2 career as a dream job. She has also spoken about the connection she has developed with Detroit sports fans through her work.
What Sports Does Jennifer Hammond Cover?
Jennifer Hammond has covered a wide range of sports during her broadcasting career.
Her professional coverage includes the:
- Detroit Lions
- Detroit Tigers
- Detroit Red Wings
- Detroit Pistons
She has also covered Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball.
Her experience across different sports has allowed her to report on both professional and college athletics.
It has also given her opportunities to cover major championships and other significant events.
Jennifer Hammond and the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have been an important part of Hammond’s FOX 2 career.
She has covered the team through training camps, preseason events and other major moments. Her work has included interviews and reports from around the team.
Hammond was also selected to join the Lions’ preseason television broadcast team in 2016.
She worked alongside Chris Spielman and Matt Shepard for the preseason broadcasts. By then, Hammond had already spent nearly two decades covering Detroit sports for FOX 2.
Her long experience with the Lions has made the team one of the major subjects of her reporting career.
Emmy Awards
Hammond has won two Emmy Awards for her work as a sports journalist.
Her FOX 2 biography identifies her as a two-time Emmy winner. The recognition came during a career that has included decades of sports reporting in Detroit.
The awards are among the most significant professional achievements of her broadcasting career.
Hammond has also received other recognition for her work. In 2015, she received the Ty Tyson Excellence in Sports Broadcasting Award.
The award recognized her work in Detroit sports broadcasting and added another major achievement to her career.
Community Work
Hammond has remained involved with the Detroit community throughout her career.
Her public professional profiles mention her work with organizations including Haven and Child Safe Michigan. She has also been involved with Detroit PAL and other community activities.
Her work with young people is another important part of her public profile.
Hammond has expressed an interest in giving back to the community that has supported her throughout her career.
She has also spoken about mentoring future broadcasters and helping the next generation find opportunities in the industry.
Work Beyond Sports Reporting
Hammond’s broadcasting experience extends beyond traditional sports reports.
Her early career included radio, traffic reporting and morning television. Those experiences helped her develop skills that later became useful in sports journalism.
She has worked in both radio and television and has reported from different types of assignments.
That varied background is part of what shaped her career at FOX 2.
She did not move directly from college into a sports reporter position.
Instead, she worked through several broadcasting roles before returning to Detroit and finding her long-term place in sports television.
Jennifer Hammond Personal Life
Hammond has shared some details about her personal interests through her public profiles.
She has spoken about raising her family while building her long career in Detroit sports media.
Her public social media accounts also show her interest in golf, food and spending time with family and friends.
Hammond has generally kept her public presence focused on her work and interests rather than detailed information about her private life.
AnchorInsider is therefore limiting this section to information that Hammond has publicly shared herself.
Where is Jennifer Hammond Now?
Jennifer Hammond continues to work as a sports reporter for FOX 2 Detroit.
Her current professional profile identifies her with FOX 2, where she continues to cover sports in the Detroit market.
Her work remains focused on local teams and athletes. She continues to report on the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons, as well as college sports.
After more than two decades at FOX 2, Hammond remains part of the Detroit sports media landscape.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Jennifer Hammond works as a sports reporter for FOX 2 Detroit. She covers professional and college sports in the Detroit market.
Hammond joined FOX 2’s sports department full time in 1997. She had previously worked with the station as a freelancer.
Hammond has covered the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons. Her career has also included coverage of Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball.
Jennifer Hammond has won two Emmy Awards for her work as a sports journalist.
Hammond attended Western Michigan University. She studied Broadcast Communications and also pursued minors in English and Journalism.
Yes. Jennifer Hammond continues to work as a sports reporter with FOX 2 Detroit and remains involved in the station’s sports coverage.
Final Take
Jennifer Hammond’s career began with a simple childhood interest in sports broadcasting.
She started by pretending to report on football games before gaining real experience through school announcements and college sports coverage.
Her time at Western Michigan University helped her develop both her broadcasting and sports reporting skills.
After college, Hammond worked in radio and traffic reporting before moving into television.
Her work at CLTV eventually brought her back to sports, while her move to WDFN gave her the opportunity to cover Detroit teams.
Her big break with FOX 2 came in 1997. She joined the station’s sports department full time after previously working as a freelancer.
Since then, Hammond has built a career covering some of Michigan’s biggest teams and sporting events. She has also earned two Emmy Awards and the Ty Tyson Excellence in Sports Broadcasting Award.
Today, Hammond continues to work as a FOX 2 sports reporter.
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