On General Hospital, Brick has stopped being background support and become front-burner material. He’s not just Sonny’s tech anymore. He was backing Josslyn, acknowledged knowing Jack, and moved through Port Charles like someone whose past still mattered, even if the show was only beginning to reveal details. Brick wasn’t just reacting anymore. He was anticipating, mentoring, and positioning himself as someone who understood how power really moved. That made what Stephen A. Smith shared offscreen this week feel less like a side note and more like a reflection of the same mindset.
Key Takeaways
- Stephen A. Smith was interviewed about careers in sports media.
- He advised that substance and preparation matter more than confidence or visibility.
- He emphasized committing to the process rather than chasing recognition or on-camera attention.
- Fan responses highlighted how strongly Smith’s message about preparation and consistency resonated.
The Process Over the Spotlight
Smith was interviewed by digital creator Emmanuel Durojaiye, who shared on Instagram, “If you told the earlier version of me, the one who was shy on camera and second-guessing every word that I’d be standing in front of [Stephen A. Smith] asking him questions about sports media careers, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”
Durojaiye wrote about realizing that growth only showed up once he stopped waiting to feel ready and took the opportunity when it appeared. He continued, “I asked @stephenasmith what advice he has for HBCU students pursuing careers in sports media, and hearing his perspective in real time was a full-circle reminder of why I started documenting this journey in the first place.”
Smith described himself as a work in progress who’d learned to stop waiting for confidence to arrive before acting. The experience mattered because it built belief, not just credentials. His takeaway for others early in the process was to step forward when the chance comes, even if nerves and uncertainty are part of it.
Why the Message Landed
In the video, Smith responded directly to Durojaiye’s question about advice for HBCU students pursuing sports media. “You gotta inform yourself,” he said, stressing that access to information mattered more than confidence alone. “No matter how much you talk, if you don’t have something substantive to talk about, it ain’t gonna matter.” He emphasized that preparation, not personality, was the foundation.
Smith went on to frame the industry as a long game, warning against chasing surface-level visibility. “You gotta be married to the process, not the glory,” he said, explaining that what audiences saw on camera was the sizzle, not the work. The real job, he noted, happened daily, subtly, and often without recognition until preparation finally paid off.
The comments reflected how clearly that advice resonated. One fan wrote, “For those of us that know Stephen A, this is his real world, every day,” calling him generous with his time and sincere in his guidance. Another pointed to a single line, writing, “Married to the process and not the glory — that’s a good one.” (Find out about the Brick scene that went viral.)
