Derrin Horton anchors sports coverage for KLTA 5 News at 6, 6:30, 10 and 11 on weeknights, as well as L.A.’s No. 1 “Sports Final” show nightly at 10:45 p.m.
For the past 22 years, Derrin has hosted, anchored, reported and called play by play for some of the largest sports networks in America. Since 2004, Horton has hosted a variety of studio shows for NFL Network, including, “NFL Total Access,” “Point After,” “College Football Now,” and “Path to the Draft.” In addition to hosting, Derrin has reported from the sidelines for all of NFL Network’s productions, including “NFL GameDay Morning,” and “NFL Total Access on Location.”
Before joining NFL Networkm he spent the previous five years at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles where he anchored, “Sports Central,” and was the main feature reporter for Channel 9’s coverage of Los Angeles Lakers basketball. Telling stories is one of his genuine passions and while at KCAL, Derrin won an Emmy for his coverage of the Special Olympics.
Derrin was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in New York City. Derrin attended Syracuse University where he received a dual degree in broadcast journalism and political philosophy. At Syracuse, he joined the renowned student station WAER Radio where he learned the craft of calling play by play. He also received valuable writing and production experience during college interning and working at CBS Sports, WFAN Radio, WCBS-TV, WTVH-TV and WSTM-TV.
After Syracuse, he began his professional career in Canton, Ohio, as a radio broadcaster for WHBC-AM. Six months later, he moved to Greensboro, N.C., to host “Black College Sports Today,” and WXII-TV, the NBC affiliate in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he covered Wake Forest, Duke, UNC and NC State football and basketball, as well as the NASCAR circuit.
After spending two years in North Carolina, he packed his bags and headed to the Midwest to anchor weekend sports for WLWT-TV, the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. From there it was on to Chicago to Fox affiliate WFLD-TV where he hosted all the Chicago Bears programming, and covered the comeback of Michael Jordan with the Bulls. The next stop was KDNL-TV, in St. Louis where he covered the Rams first season in Missouri and Mark McGwire’s record-breaking home run chase with the Cardinals.
In September of 1998, Derrin moved to Los Angeles and began working for Fox Sports Net as a sideline reporter on the Conference USA package. He eventually began calling college football and basketball as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN. He’s also called games for ABC Sports, NFL Network and Fox Sports Net’s coverage of NFL Europe, as well as working as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports’ coverage of “The Road to the Final 4,” and NBC Sports’ “Bayou Classic.”
During his free time, Derrin enjoys volunteering for a number of causes and leads a men’s Bible study. He also enjoys being active by playing basketball and working out. He’s even competed against professional athletes in the Spike TV reality show “Pros vs. Joes,” where he finished second in the competition, losing in overtime.
