Meet Alec Rapp | Sports Reporter & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alec Rapp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alec, why did you pursue a creative career?
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I was always involved in sports. I played everything from baseball, to soccer, to floor hockey. Sports was something that I fell in love with and wanted it to be a major part of my life. Like most young boys, I wanted to be a professional baseball player when I grew up. I eventually stopped playing baseball prior to high school and joined the track and field team. I threw Javelin all four years in high school, and while I wasn’t great at it, I learned so many valuable life lessons. My track coach Scott Krall played a major part in my life by teaching me lessons and encouraging me to pursue the career that I wanted. My freshman year of high school I was going to take a photography class but I ended up having to go to my second choice which was TV Production. I very quickly fell in love with on-camera work and realized that this was the career path that I wanted. I have been lucky enough to have a family that supported me every step of the way. When it came to choosing a college, I knew that I wanted to be in Dallas, Texas. I ultimately chose North Texas where I am set to graduate this December.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a host, anchor, reporter, and producer for North Texas Television at the University of North Texas. Outside of that, I also have a podcast “The Rapp Up”, I am a color analyst for Frisco ISD football, and I work as a promotions assistant for the Dallas Cowboys. I came to UNT in the fall of 2019 and immediately jumped into working for NTTV and was lucky enough to be on-air talent my first semester and each semester after that. I am extremely proud of the journey that I have taken to be here and that I have not let anything hold me back. I have faced some challenges in my career and life in general. I was born hearing impaired and have worn hearing aids since I was 5 years old. I went through speech therapy in elementary school, but throughout high school and college, I have chosen to not let this affect me and my work. It is less of an issue than I thought it would be, but at times there are still challenges to overcome. One thing I want the world to know about my story is that it is one of resilience. No matter what you go through in life whether it is big or small, you can push through it and you will come out stronger in the end.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were coming to town, I would probably take them to some of my favorite places such as the Stockyards in Fort Worth, The Star in Frisco and of course, the Denton Square. There are so many fun things to do on the Square in Denton and great places to eat! And for my non-Texan friends, I’d take them to Eagle Stadium in Allen to show them how we do High School football in the state of Texas.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family deserves a shoutout in my story. They have been supportive of my decision to move 1500 miles away and my decision to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

Another person that has been influential in my career has been Hank Dickenson. Hank is the Sports Broadcasting professor at the University of North Texas as well as the play-by-play announcer for North Texas Football and Basketball. I first met Hank while I was working at a small grocery store in Denver, Pennsylvania. Hank solidified my decision to attend the University of North Texas and has helped me land an internship with the Dallas Cowboys and work with the athletic department at UNT.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alec_rapp/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-rapp-16b557227/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlecRapp

Other: https://anchor.fm/therappup