James Brown Biography

James Brown is an award winning journalist currently working as a special correspondent for CBS News, contributing original reported pieces and appears on various CBS News broadcasts. He began his assignment in March 2012 on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” (now “CBS Saturday Morning”).

James Brown Career

Brown has served as host for the CBS Television Network’s NFL pre-game show, “The NFL Today,” since February 2006. In addition, he had served as play-by-play announcer for the Network’s coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA Tournament. Brown has also hosted the Network’s Super Bowl pre-game show for its coverage of Super Bowl XLIV (2010) and for Super Bowl XLI (2007) in Miami, Florida.

Furthermore, Brown hosts “Inside the NFL” which debuted in 2008 on Showtime alongside analysts Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp. “Inside the NFL” won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show-Weekly in its first year on showtime. Additionally, he also hosted the Pacquiao/Mosley fight for Showtime Pay-per-view.

His first book, “Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family and Significant Living,” hit bookstores across the country in September 2009. In his memoir, Brown got to relay how he found the role he was meant to play. He highlighted both the good and bad decisions he made along the way, teaching readers how to discover life’s purpose for themselves.

Prior to returning to CBS Sports, Brown served as host of “FOX NFL Sunday” for 12 years. In June 1994, he joined FOX Sports after a decade with CBS Sports. Brown hosted a two-hour radio show called “Hang Time with James Brown,” and also wrote daily commentaries for Sporting News Radio. In addition, he also served as a reporter and correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” and, for 12 years, hosted Championship Boxing matches for HBO.

James Brown CBS News

Brown first joined CBS Sports in 1984, and was part of the network’s broadcast team for its NFL coverage and college basketball coverage as well as a reporter for the NBA Finals. Additionally, he was also a host of an afternoon show, the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. During his time at CBS, Brown was also co-host of “CBS Sports Saturday/Sunday,” a weekend anthology series.

His career in sport casting began in Washington, D.C. as play-by-play announcer for the NBA Washington Bullets (now known as the Wizards) for Home Team Sports and served as an analyst for black college basketball on BET. Early in his career, he hosted a mid-day program on WTEM, an all-sports radio station, co-hosted two weekly Washington-area sports programs, was sports anchor for WUSA-TV for six years, and hosted “James Brown’s Pro Football Preview” for SportsFan Radio.

Brown has earned multiple awards throughout his career, including three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Host for “The NFL Today” (2007) and “FOX NFL Sunday” (1998, 1999). He got honored with the 2009 Dick Schaap Memorial Award for Media Excellence. Brown also is a recipient of the 2007 Maxwell Football Club’s Excellence in Broadcasting Award and the Dallas All Sports Association Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism. Furthermore, he was the first recipient of the annual Pat Summerall Award in 2006, at Super Bowl XL in Detroit. He is a recipient of the Director’s Award for Broadcasting from The 100 Black Men of America and the Greater Washington Urban League’s Sam Lacy Award 2005.

James Brown Awards

Furthermore, Brown was a 2010 honoree as one of the “Faces of Black History” celebrating black media legends who have impacted the black community through their achievements and positive examples. This have included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to the present-day heroes. He is the 2002 recipient of the International Black Broadcasters Association’s Broadcasting Excellence Award. And was chosen as 1999 Sportscaster of the Year (Studio Host) by the American Sportscaster Association. In addition, Brown also got the award of the Golden Mike Award (1998) by the Black Broadcasters Alliance, two NATAS Emmys (D.C. chapter) including the Glenn Brenner Award for excellence in sportscasting (1998), and the Quarterback Club of Washington’s Sportscaster of the Year Award (1996). In 2010, he was named “Best Studio Host of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated.

James Brown Early Life

Brown was born and raised in Washington D.C. He graduated with a degree in American Government from Harvard University. Brown was a standout on the basketball court and received All-Ivy League honors in his last three seasons at Harvard University and captained the team in his senior year. In addition, he was in the selection as a fourth-round draft pick by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and a seventh-round pick by the Denver Nuggets. In 1996, Brown was inducted into the Harvard Hall of Fame.

He is a co-founder and principal of the Brown Technology Group, a certified minority-owned and operated information technology company, and is a founding partner of the Washington Nationals. He further serves as AARP’s Community Ambassador. Brown is also an executive producer of the documentary “For Aaron,” from JTwoFilms, which won Best Documentary at the Puerto Rico International Film Festival and the Indie Gathering Film Festival.

Brown is not a stranger to charitable efforts and he hosts the P.U.L.S.E. Awards, featuring “The JB Awards,” where NFL players are get honors for their outstanding community service. Additionally, he has also teamed up with the Verizon Foundation to launch a national campaign to end domestic violence against women and men. Brown has worked on behalf of Darrell Green’s Youth Life Foundation, the Neimann Pick Disease Foundation and the Marrow Foundation. In addition, he has also worked on behalf of The HollyRod Foundation, Special Olympics D.C., among numerous other charities and foundations.

He lives with his wife Dorothy in Maryland. His daughter, Katrina and her husband, John, are parents to three daughters, Kaela, Jordyn and Aniya.

James Brown Age

Brown was born James Talmadge Brown in Washington D.C. on 25 February, 1951 and is now 73 years of age as of 2024.

James Brown Height

He stands at an approximate height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91m) tall.

James Brown Education

Brown graduated with a degree in American Government from Harvard University. He was a standout on the basketball court and received All-Ivy League honors in his last three seasons at Harvard University and captained the team in his senior year. In addition, Brown was in the selection as a fourth-round draft pick by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and a seventh-round pick by the Denver Nuggets. In 1996, he was inducted into the Harvard Hall of Fame.

James Brown Family

He was born and raised in Washington D.C. by his parents John and Maryann Brown. Brown is a nephew of the famed Hollywood actor Clifton Powell.

James Brown Wife

Brown resides in Maryland with his wife Dorothy.

James Brown Children

He is a father of one child, a daughter Katrina and her husband, John who are parents to three daughters, Kaela, Jordyn and Aniya.