Katherine Smith, Reporter

Growing up in a house where the television was almost always tuned into sports naturally led Katherine Smith to a career in the sports business.

Katherine’s father was a member of the 1963 Robinson High Knights football team that played in the first FHSAA sanctioned state championship game, and she grew up on stories from that season that helped pique an interest in sports. Attending the University of Florida during Emmitt Smith’s Gators career and the beginning of the Steve Spurrier era helped solidify her love of sports.

In 1991, Katherine joined the Tampa Tribune and began a career as a sports reporter that saw her cover everything from Little League Baseball to the Tampa Bay Bucs. She was in San Diego for the Bucs historic Super Bowl victory and at Tropicana Field for the Tampa Bay Rays first World Series appearance. She also was in Atlanta for fellow Bright House Sports Network employee Brooke Bennett’s Olympic gold medal moment. Throughout her 20-year tenure with the Tribune, Katherine was a member of a staff that was consistently awarded Top 10 APSE awards.

A Tampa native and a graduate of Brandon High School, Katherine resides in South Tampa and in her rare spare time, she enjoys watching her nephews play basketball, spending time with her niece and following Bruce Springsteen and U2.