UF Welcomes ESPN’s The Undefeated

The University of Florida welcomed ESPN’s The Undefeated for the 2019 UF Wasdin Speaker Series centered on race, sports and culture on Tuesday. The event featured a moderated discussion on how black athletes establish and use their influence through their relationship with the media. The panel was held at UF’s Harn Museum of Art from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

About

The Wasdin Speaker Series is an annual event supported by the College of Health and Human Performance in collaboration with the College of Journalism and Communications and the Levin College of Law. UF joined forces with ESPN’s The Undefeated to host the event for the first time this year.

The Undefeated is ESPN’s very own multi-platform initiative designed to explore the intersection of race, culture and sports. Its website, TheUndefeated.com, launched in May of 2016 to provide insight into black athletes and culture related issues.

Speakers

The Wasdin Speaker Series brought in a group of prominent athletes and special guests to discuss the challenges, opportunities and experiences they have faced throughout their careers. The list of speakers included:

• A.J. Andrews – Professional Softball Player
• Michelle Carter – Olympic Champion,Women’s Shot Put
• Artis Gilmore – Retired ABA and NBA Basketball Player
• Cameron Hall – UF College of Public Health & Health Professions Freshman
• Grant Holloway – 110 Meter Hurdles World Champion
• Mike “Mouse” Holloway – NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Coach
• Kevin Merida – Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief, ESPN’s The Undefeated-
• Lonnae O’Neal – Senior Writer, The Undefeated
• Marcus Pollard – Director of Player Engagement, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Jason Reid – Senior NFL Writer, The Undefeated-Michael Reid, Professor and Dean, UF College of Health & Human Performance-
• Max Siegel – Entrepreneur and CEO, USA Track & Field
• Alanis Thames – UF College of Journalism and Communications Senior
• Etan Thomas – Retired NBA Player
• Tom Wasdin – Retired NCAA Basketball Coach
• Nathan Whitaker – New York Times Best-Selling Author
• Cameron Wolfe – ESPN.com NFL Nation Reporter, Miami Dolphins

Earlier in the week Gator Athletics’ very own Mike Holloway shared his thoughts on the panel and his opinion on how social platforms should be used by athletes. He will be coaching team USA’s track and field, and cross country teams in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

 

If you are interested in hearing the full presentation from Tuesday, tune into WRUF on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the entirety of the presentation.