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Matt Barnes has a group of contacts on his phone with nearly every host of Gridiron Glory since he hosted the program in 2006 and 2007.

“I remember when I was hosting that the previous year’s host would send a message before the first show of the season to wish the new host good luck,” said Barnes. “So, after COVID, when the show had to take a year off and things really got messed up, I thought I should make sure that the host was still getting that kind of message. So, I got a hold of every Gridiron host that I could and now each year we all reach out to the new host to let them know we are thinking of them. It’s a small fraternity of people who have been able to host that great program, and I think it’s important to show support for the person that hosts the show each year because of all nerves that come with it.”

When Barnes first became host in 2006 during season 8, he remembers being a nervous wreck.

“I was incredibly scared the first couple of weeks,” said Barnes with a laugh. “It was incredibly nerve wracking to host Gridiron Glory for the first time because of the reputation of the program. I didn’t want to mess anything up.”

Barnes knew he wanted to be a part of Gridiron Glory as soon as he learned he could. He remembers getting involved with the show in his first week on campus.

“I watched high school football shows like Gridiron growing up and was addicted to being able to see highlights of games in my area,” said Barnes. “To learn that there was something like that at WOUB was amazing to me, and then to find out it was produced and anchored by students,  I didn’t expect it to be that good.”

But the program went beyond Barnes’ expectations, and while Barnes was host for two seasons, the show pushed its boundaries and tried new things.

“In season 8, we did the show live at Nelsonville York during week 10, and Jay Edwards committed to 51���� live on the air,” said Barnes. “That was a really cool atmosphere to be here for that game, very much like you would see on a national broadcast.”

After graduation, Barnes went on to be a TV sports reporter and anchor before moving to the news anchor desk. He is currently the morning anchor at NBC 4 in Columbus. But even though Barnes has moved out of sports, he still holds his time with Gridiron in high regard and provides mentorship and feedback to the current Gridiron crew.

“What makes the show great is all the teamwork that comes with it,” said Barnes. “You always see the people on camera, but there were so many great people behind the camera and behind the scenes that made the show what it is, and many of them are still working in the media industry doing great work.  The camaraderie in and out of the studio during each season and over the years is what makes the show great.”

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