Football

T.J. Thorpe joins HSOT as football analyst, will host 'The T.J. Thorpe Show' this summer

T.J. Thorpe, a Durham native and former college and professional football player, is joining the HighSchoolOT team as a high school football analyst this season.
Posted 2022-05-05T15:29:42+00:00 - Updated 2022-05-05T15:29:42+00:00

T.J. Thorpe, a Durham native and former college and professional football player, is joining the HighSchoolOT team as a high school football analyst this season.

Thorpe will help with coverage of high school football across North Carolina on “HighSchoolOT,” the state’s largest high school sports platform. Thorpe will analyze the game, teams and players throughout the season.

In addition, HighSchoolOT is announcing the launch of “The T.J. Thorpe Show” this summer. The show, hosted by Thorpe, will feature unique interviews with former North Carolina high school football players and contributors to the sport who have gone on to play collegiately and professionally at various levels. The guests will share their experiences, advice and discuss the importance of high school football in their lives. In addition, Thorpe will include interviews with current high school football players in the show.

“The T.J. Thorpe Show” will be available on HighSchoolOT.com, the HighSchoolOT app, WRAL Sports+, YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.

“The biggest thing for this show is we set the example. We give as many examples of what a true student-athlete looks like and also have fun in the process,” Thorpe said, adding he hopes high school athletes learn about the process past players went through.

Thorpe will also serve as the co-host of the “HighSchoolOT Honors” awards show with HighSchoolOT Managing Editor Nick Stevens on June 18 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Thorpe and Stevens will reveal the winners of dozens of categories as HighSchoolOT recognizes the best North Carolina high school sports has to offer. Tickets are on sale now for the event.

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This fall, Thorpe will join Stevens as co-host of “HighSchoolOT Live,” a one-of-a-kind show for high school football. The show features live coverage of up to 10 of the top games across the state each week, with coverage led from the studio in Raleigh where Thorpe and Stevens will be on air, commercial free, all night taking viewers from game to game as the action happens.

“I’m ecstatic for this opportunity because it brings me full circle,” Thorpe said. “I went from being one of the athletes who was running home ready to see my highlights on the TV with my friends and family, to now having the opportunity to be part of the same organization that was covering me.”

Thorpe graduated from Jordan High School in Durham in 2011 where he was a standout football and basketball player. As a senior, he made the ESPNU 150 list as the No. 88 overall prospect in the country and the No. 11 athlete in the Class of 2011. Rivals.com rated him as the No. 15 wide receiver in the country and the sixth best prospect in North Carolina. Thorpe earned a spot in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas after his senior season.

As a junior, Thorpe set the N.C. High School Athletic Association single-season record for kickoff returns for touchdowns with five, a record that still stands today. His school-record 2,423 career receiving yards is also still intact.

Thorpe played college football at UNC for Butch Davis and Larry Fedora. In 2011, he was a finalist for the Johnny Rodgers Award, recognizing the nation’s top returner, and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention. After graduating from UNC with a degree in exercise science, he played one season at UVA as a graduate student.

Thorpe entered the NFL in 2016 where he spent time with Washington and Philadelphia. He also played in the CFL.

“We are excited to have T.J. on the HighSchoolOT team this football season. T.J. brings a level of credibility to our coverage that few people have – a high school state record holder, an ACC football player and NFL experience,” Stevens said. “T.J.’s personality is going to make for a great host, and he’s going to be able to connect with high school football players in unique ways.”

“The T.J. Thorpe Show” will launch in early summer. Download the free HighSchoolOT app so you don’t miss any announcements about the show.

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