UFCJC to Induct Five Sports Media Professionals into Sports@CJC Ring of Honor
The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) today announced this year’s inductees into its Sports@CJC Ring of Honor, which recognizes UF alumni, faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to sports journalism, media and communications and positively represent the values and impact of the College and its sports program.
This year’s inductees include Otis Boggs, UFCJC Hall of Fame 1989, Chuck Cooperstein, B.S. Broadcasting 1981, Artie Kempner, B.S. Public Relations 1981, Steve Russell, B.S. Telecommunication 1996, and Aimee Nicole Sachs, B.S. Telecommunication 2008.
The five inductees will be honored during the College’s Sports@CJC Sports Collective Symposium on March 6, 2025, an event featuring UFCJC alumni designed to inspire and inform students, emerging professionals and the Gator community about the future of the sports media and communication industry.
Otis Boggs, who passed away in August 2022 at 82 years old, was the former voice of the Gators, who brought UF football and baseball games to millions of fans over four decades with his radio play-by-play. Boggs got his start at WRUF in 1939 while he was still a Florida student, providing color commentary. He became the play-by-play announcer in 1940 and held the position until he retired after the 1981 season. Although retired, he continued working behind the mic as host of a Gator pre-game show. He was Florida’s Outstanding Sportscaster from 1960-1963, a charter member of the WRUF Hall of Fame, and a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
Chuck Cooperstein is now in his 20th season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Cooperstein’s extensive sports broadcasting background included play-by-play stints with TCU and the University of Texas football, as well as TCU, Texas A&M and SMU basketball. He has also broadcast college basketball, college football and NFL games nationally on Westwood One. Cooperstein was named the 2022 Texas Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and has received a Katie Award for his play-by-play expertise from the Dallas Press Club.
Arthur “Artie” Kempner is in his 31st year with FOX Sports, directing NFL games and NASCAR events for the network. Prior to joining FOX Sports, Kempner worked for CBS Sports from 1982-94 as part of the team that launched the network after acquiring the rights to NFL games. He is a 12-time Sports Emmy winner and garnered more than 40 other nominations for major sporting events. Among the NFL games he has directed are Super Bowl XXXIX and XLII, eight NFC Championship games, and more than 670 NFL regular season and playoff games. Other events include three Winter Olympic Games, 21 Daytona 500s and over 400 other NASCAR Races, and The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open golf tournaments.
Steve Russell was the College’s sports director for ESPN Gainesville and WUFT-TV until his retirement in 2024. Russell had been broadcasting his Sportscene radio show since 1998, making it Gainesville’s longest-running sports-talk show. In addition to his duties as sports director, Steve also worked for the University Athletic Association and IMG as one of the radio voices for Gator baseball broadcasts. He also worked play-by-play and as a color analyst for Gator volleyball, women’s basketball and softball. At UFCJC, Russell introduced a number of new courses on play-by-play announcing and covering sports on multiple platforms.
Aimee Nicole Sachs was a gifted and enthusiastic journalist who covered sports, courts and politics in broadcast, print and digital platforms. Sachs’ twin passions were sports and journalism, which she combined in covering MLB games, especially those involving her beloved Atlanta Braves. After suffering a devastating stroke in 2023 that left her without the ability to breathe, talk, or move on her own ever again, she made the brave and generous decision to leave this world and to donate her organs. Three people are alive today because of Aimee’s loving gift. Her legacy includes the Aimee Nicole Sachs Scholarship in Sports Journalism at UFCJC.
Posted: February 10, 2025
Category: Alumni News, College News, Sports, Sports Media Alumni
Tagged as: Aimee Nicole Sachs, Artie Kempner, Chuck Cooperstein, Otis Boggs, Sports@CJC Ring of Honor, Steve Russell
