Working Overtime Emmy-nominated NFL sideline reporter and ‘Today’ show contributing correspondent Kaylee Hartung '07 shows no signs of slowing down.

Summing up Kaylee Hartung ’07 in just a few words isn’t easy, but hardworking, humble and kind-hearted come close.

Hartung is a tenured journalist with a robust resume that every Washington and Lee University J-school student dreams of; from CNN to ESPN, she’s worked for some of the top media outlets in the country. In 2022, she accepted her biggest job yet: sideline reporter for Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.” And just a few months after finishing her second season on the field, she received a Sports Emmy nomination for her work.

As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, Hartung accepted an additional high-profile job in 2023: gracing morning television sets as a contributing correspondent for the “Today” show. “One of the things that’s so fulfilling about the position I’m in now is that I get to work across the spectrum,” Hartung says. “I built the skill set to be able to show up on both the best and the worst days in people’s lives.”

“Everything I do is about humanizing the people who I cover, whether it’s news or sports. Every story that’s told is someone else’s story that I have the privilege of telling.”

The ‘why’ of it all

When Hartung was 10 years old, she witnessed her father, Joe, a talented pilot who flew in aerobatic air shows, die in a plane crash. At home that night, the family mourned and comforted one another. CNN was on in the background — and Hartung heard her father’s passing contained in a 30-second report.

“The death of the most important man in my life was covered as an event,” she says. “His life wasn’t honored, his accomplishments weren’t spoken of, and the incredible man he was wasn’t talked about. I didn’t understand how his life could be simplified in such a way.”

That devastating experience made Hartung want to be the one reporting the news, in a way that humanized every story. “I didn’t want other people to feel the way that I felt in that moment,” she says. “I wanted to honor other people’s stories, and I wanted the people whose lives were impacted by those stories to feel like justice was done.”

Part of the action

After that day, Hartung decided to pursue news reporting, earning a double degree in journalism and politics at W&L. After graduation, she worked at CBS News as an assistant to former “CBS Evening News” anchor Bob Schieffer, whom she was introduced to by W&L alumnus Tom Mattesky ’74, then deputy bureau chief for CBS News in Washington, D.C.

Although a career in news was always the plan, Hartung also aspired to be in front of the camera. Schieffer recognized this and encouraged her to pursue that goal through sports reporting.

Hartung was never an athlete — she laughs when people ask — but the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native grew up immersed in the world of college sports.

“You have to try not to be a sports fan; it’s in your blood down there,” she says. “The Louisiana State University football schedule comes out and weddings are planned around it. Every game is the social event of the season.”

(Photo by Nathan Congleton)

As a reporter for ESPN, she worked as a host for the Longhorn Network and SEC Network, covering everything from the College World Series to NCAA basketball tournaments.

“It’s funny, because now I can’t imagine my career without sports reporting being a part of it,” she says. “But it definitely wasn’t part of the plan.”

In 2017, Hartung joined CNN. She still saw a future in sports journalism, but she wanted to prove to the world — and her 10-year-old self — that she could tackle hard news.

From the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the Parkland High School shooting in Florida, she covered stories of “death, despair and destruction” with the utmost care. However, the experience took a toll; she had to walk away after two years.

“I think that was the first moment in my career where I recognized that there is an element of care you have to take for yourself when you are exposed to other people’s trauma repeatedly,” she says. “That’s been an interesting part of my learning process through all of this.”

Hartung realized she needed to find a balance. She spent the next three years at ABC News, but when the opportunity to work in both news and sports arose, she jumped at it.

Yes, juggling two jobs is as exhausting as it sounds. Late nights on the football field are followed by waking up at 2:30 a.m. for a morning “Today” show broadcast. But it’s also invigorating. After riding in a stunt car with actors Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, she gets to watch a pro football game from a seat that fans would spend their life savings on. It’s undeniably cool.

But the glitz and glamour are secondary to Hartung’s commitment to storytelling: “Everything I do is about humanizing the people who I cover, whether it’s news or sports. Every story that’s told is someone else’s story that I have the privilege of telling.”

On the field

There are certainly some differences between covering college and professional sports. There’s no denying that the NFL is a business, and Hartung’s working relationships have shifted from athletic directors and university presidents to billionaire team owners and high-powered sports agents. Yet her core focus is the same: the players.

“I want to honor the sacrifices they make, their dedication to their craft and all of the hard work that they put in — in a way that does justice to their journey and their story,” Hartung says. “My goal is always to help fans care more, and invest more, in a game that they’re watching. Whether you are a devout or casual fan, I want you to feel like you learned something.”

Kaylee Hartung ’07 interviews Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell and wide receiver Davante Adams after an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders in December 2023. (Amazon Prime Video)

After two years on the field, Hartung earned her first solo Sports Emmy nomination for Outstanding Sports Personality/Sideline Reporter in 2024. She couldn’t believe she was included on the same list of reporters who have had a major impact on her career.

“These are esteemed broadcasters, and all are people I have learned something from,” she says. “It’s just wild when you see your name among people you respect so much.”

W&L homecoming

Hartung was equally humbled when she received W&L’s 2017 Distinguished Young Alumni Award at her 10-year reunion, noting that the award provided her a chance to reflect on how W&L shaped her personally and professionally.

In March 2024, Hartung returned to campus to discuss her career journey, sharing the University Chapel stage with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman P’24. She also offered words of wisdom to journalism students, who greatly impressed her.

“I could see their hunger and their true, genuine desire to pursue careers in this field,” she says. “And it’s not easy. It’s not easy to travel this road and be prepared for all the sacrifices that it will require … they reminded me so much of myself.”

“Today” show’s Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Hartung interview actress Beanie Feldstein. (Nathan Congleton)

Hartung gave up a lot for her success, from a consistent sleep schedule to a certainty about marriage and kids.

However, those personal sacrifices have led her to a dream career in storytelling she never could have expected.

“I am finally in a place where I feel like I’m exactly where I belong,” she says. “I’d like to keep doing what I’m doing, for as long as anybody will let me.”

This article first appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of W&L: The Washington and Lee Magazine.