Two of the biggest names to emerge from Howard University's sports journalism pipeline share a stage Friday, Aug. 14, in Atlanta, as FOX Sports play-by-play voice Gus Johnson and retired NFL reporter Jim Trotter headline a luncheon at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention.

The event, titled "Beyond 55: Where Legacy Meets the Next Play," marks the 55th anniversary of Howard's Cathy Hughes School of Communications. It runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Imperial Ballroom, Salon A, at the Marriott Marquis, according to the university.

Johnson, who graduated from Howard in 1990 with a political science degree, became the first African American man and first HBCU graduate to receive the Jake Wade Award in 2021, an honor recognizing a media professional's outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics. He has been FOX Sports' lead play-by-play announcer for college football since 2011 and college basketball since 2013, following earlier stints at CBS, ESPN and the Madison Square Garden Network.

Trotter, a 1986 Howard communications graduate, retired in 2025 after nearly four decades covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, NFL Media and The Athletic.

Since retiring, Trotter has directed resources back to Howard.

Through his Work, Plan, Pray Foundation, he established the Sports Journalism Success Fund, which includes a $300,000 commitment to Howard students pursuing sports journalism or sports management. The fund is already paying out. Howard students Harmony Bailey and Amani Clark-Bey were named the inaugural Jim Trotter Fellows in October 2025, each receiving $15,000 in financial support plus professional development funding and a career mentor.

The fellowship grew partly from a 2024 legal settlement. Trotter settled a lawsuit against the NFL after alleging his contract was not renewed in retaliation for raising concerns about racial diversity. As part of the agreement, the NFL donated to his HBCU scholarship foundation.

"The topic of sports media and journalism aligns naturally with the Cathy Hughes School of Communications' 55th anniversary and our focus on looking more intently at our future," dean Kimberly R. Moffitt said in a university announcement. "The 'Beyond 55' conversation is fitting to bring to NABJ with two accomplished alumni who can help us think about the evolving role of sports, journalism and storytelling in our future."

Moffitt, herself a Howard alumna who earned her Ph.D. from the university in 2000, is hosting the luncheon and will also hold an open hours session at the Marriott Marquis Pulse Bar from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14. Seating for the luncheon is first-come, first-served. The NABJ Convention runs through Aug. 16.