Kainani Stevens has built a wide-ranging role with the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving as a team reporter and producer across daily programming, feature interviews, game-day coverage and written reporting for the club’s website.
What changed for the franchise
Stevens joined Jacksonville in 2023 after working in local television news, arriving as the organization was entering a period shaped by a new front office and coaching staff. She said the scale of the Jaguars’ production operation and its commitment to quality made the job a natural fit.
Her responsibilities include co-hosting “Jags AM” three times each week alongside longtime Jaguars play-by-play voice and senior correspondent Brian Sexton and senior writer John Oehser. Stevens writes and produces her own segments, conducts weekly player features and appears on broadcast programming carried by local affiliates.
On game days, she handles interviews with players before and after kickoff. At EverBank Stadium, she also conducts the postgame interview shown on the video boards when Jacksonville wins.
Stevens said her television background prepared her for the rapid deadlines and changing demands of an NFL beat. She routinely attends practice and emphasizes the importance of being visible around the team, fully prepared and familiar with the club’s day-to-day operations.
“People see me at practice, know how hard I work, and I’m well-researched,” Stevens said. “I can hang my hat on the fact that I know what’s going on within the Jaguars organization and deliver that to the fans.”
From Boston journalism student to Jaguars reporter
Raised in New England, Stevens grew up around pro sports and studied journalism at Northeastern University in Boston. During college, she landed an internship with Red Sox radio through a class taught by longtime Boston broadcaster Joe Castiglione.
At 19, Stevens became the first woman and youngest person selected to intern with the Red Sox radio operation. The assignment put her in position to interview players including David Ortiz and helped confirm that sports media was the career she wanted to pursue.
She later covered multiple sports in local television before deciding during the pandemic that she wanted to leave TV news for a role where her production, reporting and on-camera skills could all be used.
Stevens said persistence, preparation and versatility have been central to her career. Early jobs included work as a production assistant, operating cameras and editing video before she moved into reporting and hosting duties.
“Be ambitious, be stubborn, but also be adaptable to your environment and multifaceted,” she said when discussing advice for women entering sports media. “You have to use it to your advantage so you’re prepared when the opportunity comes around.”
Game-day moments and Jacksonville’s London connection
One of Stevens’ defining Jaguars memories came during a Monday Night Football matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs last season. With Jacksonville in a tight game, Stevens moved toward the field late in anticipation of a possible postgame interview.
She watched quarterback Trevor Lawrence stumble, regain his footing and reach the end zone for what became the winning touchdown. Standing near the sideline, she said, allowed her to feel the reaction of roughly 60,000 fans as the stadium erupted.
Stevens also has seen Jacksonville’s relationship with London become a significant part of the franchise’s identity. The Jaguars were set to play their 16th game in the city against the Houston Texans, extending their status as the NFL team with the most appearances in London.
She described London as a second home for the club and said the annual trip offers an opportunity to watch the Jaguars’ overseas fan base expand. The travel has become familiar for the organization, though it remains particularly memorable for younger players making their first trip outside the United States.
Stevens has incorporated local themes into her reporting during those visits, including player features built around tea-time settings and other aspects of British culture.
Balancing an NFL career
Stevens said the schedule is among the profession’s biggest challenges. Football requires work on nights, weekends and holidays, a commitment shared throughout an NFL building by players, coaches and staff.
After feeling burned out in television news, she entered the Jaguars job determined to maintain a healthier balance away from the office while continuing to meet the demands of her role. She said that achievement is among the things she values most about her career.
Stevens credited early guidance from Castiglione and Red Sox broadcaster Dave O’Brien, along with support from fellow women in sports media. She said colleagues working through similar challenges can provide especially useful advice and encouraged women in the field to support one another rather than treat each other solely as competition.
