Mesa, Ariz. NBC station hires Pepper as sports reporter

The following excerpt was sent out from beaumontenterprise.com:

Holton Pepper has joined the on-air team at 12News [part of KPNX-TV, the NBC station in Mesa, Ariz.] as a 409Sports Reporter, first appearing Oct. 6 during The 409Sports Blitz, according to a news release from 12News.

Pepper grew up in Nacodogches and Kilgore, where he played varsity football and basketball. He then went on to attend Full Sail University, graduating from their sports broadcasting program, according to the release.

“I’m blessed to be given the opportunity to work for 409Sports and 12News,” Pepper said in the release. “I’ve always had a passion for high school sports, and I’m very excited to have the chance to highlight all the great stories in Southeast Texas.”

Growing up, Pepper wanted to be a marine biologist, but after constantly talking his family’s “ears off about sports,” they suggested that he “should just go ahead and go get paid for doing this and stop bothering” them, inspiring him to become a sports reporter.

Pepper said that high school football in Southeast Texas is “unlike anything else in the entire state of Texas,” and that the Golden Triangle has some of the best high school football in the state.

News director Ginny Sweeney in the release said that Pepper’s education in sports broadcasting and his “East Texas roots,” made him ideal for their team and brings a “fresh perspective and high levels of energy” to their broadcasts.

Pepper said that he wants to work at Fox Sports or ESPN in the future, but working at the local level is still a dream in and of itself.