ESPN’s Joe Tessitore to Serve as Walter Camp National Awards Dinner Master of Ceremonies
ESPN college football play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore will be the master of ceremonies for the 51st Walter Camp National Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 13. Tessitore replaces ESPN colleague John Anderson, who served the last 10 years.
“We are excited to have Joe to serve as the master of ceremonies for our National Awards Dinner,” Walter Camp Foundation President Michael Madera said. “We are also appreciative of the great work that John Anderson did for the last 10 years. He is a great friend of the Foundation and will continue to be held in high regard.”
The Foundation will hold its 51st annual national awards dinner, presented by David McDermott Lexus, at Yale University’s Lanman Center on January 13. The Walter Camp Player of the Year Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), along with members of the 2017 Walter Camp All-America team, and other major award winners (Coach of the Year-Mark Richt; Alumni Award-Eddie George; Man of the Year-Calvin Johnson; Distinguished American-Lee Corso, and Connecticut Player of the Year-Ervin Philips), will be honored.
Tessitore is a play-by-play commentator for ESPN, calling college football and basketball games, and boxing matches.
In 2016, Tessitore made the transition to ESPN’s Saturday primetime game after serving as play-by-play caller for Thursday night action in 2015 and as host of SEC Nation on SEC Network in 2014 and 2015, the show’s first two seasons. Tessitore called ESPN Saturday night football games in the past, numerous BCS Bowl games throughout the years, and was apart of the College Football Playoff Megacast in 2016.
In addition to his football, basketball and boxing duties, Tessitore has covered other sports for ESPN. Prior to 2011, he spent many years anchoring ABC/ESPN horse racing presentations including The Belmont Stakes and The Breeders’ Cup World Championships. For five years he was the host of ESPN’s live New Year’s Eve specials including Red Bull New Year, No Limits and the debut of ESPN’s Year of the Quarterback.
In 2010, Tessitore was honored three times for his on air work. He accepted an Eclipse Award for ESPN’s 2009 Belmont Stakes telecast on ABC and 2010 Breeders’ Cup. On June 4, the Boxing Writers of America presented Tessitore with the prestigious Sam Taub award for Broadcast Excellence. And on October 30, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame included Tessitore in their 2010 class of inductees.
Tessitore joined ESPN in February 2002. The previous eight years, Tessitore made his mark as the sports anchor at WFSB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Hartford. In his spare time, Tessitore has given tireless and generous fundraising efforts to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. He is a 1993 graduate of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He began his career in 1991 at KXAS, the NBC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth and in 1994 joined WRGB, the CBS affiliate in Albany NY.
