The Charlotte MLS franchise has a new face. Get to know on-camera host Tiffany Blackmon

Former NFL reporter Tiffany Blackmon is returning to Bank of America Stadium for her first day of work next Monday, but she will be covering a different type of football. Blackmon will serve as the Charlotte MLS in-house reporter and on-camera host for the expansion team’s inaugural season in 2021.

“I knew that (Tiffany’s) passion and knowledge of the game of soccer as a former college player, paired with the experience she gained covering both the NFL and NBA, would make her an ideal fit for this role,” Panthers communications director Steven Drummond said. “She will do an outstanding job.”

Drummond and Tepper Sports & Entertainment president Tom Glick identified Blackmon as someone they wanted to join the Charlotte MLS in-house media team while she was covering the southeast region for NFL Network.

Blackmon spent the last five years as a sideline reporter and contributor on NFL Network shows such as Total Access, Around the NFL and GameDay Morning. Soccer, however, has always been a passion, she said. Blackmon played four years of Division I collegiate soccer at Georgia State University before transitioning to a career in media. (She was the MVP of the Houston Dynamo’s media soccer game and apparently still has the trophy in her closet.)

“Getting to play in college on a scholarship was really cool for me,” Blackmon said. “I jumped at this opportunity when it came up—to be able to give back to the sport I loved. I think the transition will be a fairly easy one.”

Blackmon will cover Charlotte MLS for the team website and social media channels, as well as have a hand in the team’s community engagement efforts. As a longtime broadcast reporter, she will also serve as an on-camera host and deliver player interviews to fans, similar to Caroline Cann’s role with the Carolina Panthers.

The Atlanta native spoke with The Charlotte Observer’s MLS reporter, Alex Andrejev, for an exclusive interview about returning to the pitch, how she plans to cover the new team and where her true soccer loyalty lies (Hint: It’s neither Atlanta nor Houston).

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Alex Andrejev: How long have you been in Charlotte and how’s the transition been so far?

Tiffany Blackmon: I moved here last Monday officially, but I’m still unpacking. I came from Atlanta. I grew up there for the most part. I moved there around sixth grade and then my T.V. journey ended up bringing me back there for the last five years.

AA: So what’s your official role with the MLS team? Can you give us more details?

TB: I’m the team reporter/host. I’ve also have a hand in the community engagement team. It’ll be a little bit of broadcast and digital I’d imagine. I can’t really speak to the broadcast stuff, but I know I’ll probably be doing a ton of social media stuff with the team.

AA: What social platforms will Charlotte MLS utilize?

TB: I think all social channels. Instagram is my favorite, but I think Instagram, Twitter and I guess Facebook. I don’t even have a personal Facebook account anymore. I might have to get one. Definitely the team website as well.

AA: You’re coming from NFL Network but you have a strong soccer background. How do you feel about covering soccer?

TB: I played soccer my whole life and all four years of college. I’m super excited to get back to it because it’s the game I started playing when I was like eight years old and it actually helped me make smoother transitions. My dad was an NFL coach, so we moved a lot, and I was always able to come back to soccer and build friendships that way, and to build a career that way. Getting to play in college on a scholarship was really cool for me. I jumped at this opportunity when it came up—to be able to give back to the sport I loved. I think the transition will be a fairly easy one. I’ll definitely have to learn a bit along the way.

AA: You also worked covering sports in Houston at one point. Did you ever cover pro soccer there?

TB: I did work in Houston for two years and that was really cool. I was a part of something from the ground up. Kind of like what this is now with this MLS team. We launched CSN (Comcast SportsNet) Houston back in 2012 and we were in existence for two years, so I did get to sideline a game for the Dynamo, as well as cover them. (Former Dynamo player) Brian Ching is still a big name, but I got to go to his retirement roast and stuff like that. I built a lot of good relationships that way...I also was the MVP of the media soccer game for the Dynamo. I have a trophy in my closet. I might have to bring it out.

AA: You definitely should. You can put it on your desk.

TB: Ha I’ll try. I’m just excited to get back to the game.

AA: You’ve lived in two cities with a strong soccer presence: Atlanta (Atlanta United) and Houston (Dynamo and Dash). What have you learned about the sport from living in those places?

TB: I’ve learned people want soccer and people are ready for it and when you give it to them, they will rise to the occasion to rally around a team. I know from growing up playing travel soccer. I would come to North Carolina to play in tournaments. I always equated Charlotte and the Carolinas with soccer. I had some old teammates who ended up going to Duke and UNC. This has always been a soccer town to me, even when it didn’t have an MLS team. Now that it has one, I think you’ll see the same turnout as there was when Atlanta United got on the scene, maybe even better.

AA: Any loyalty to those other teams still?

TB: When you’re a kid and your dad travels around as much as mine did, you learn not to have any loyalty to any team unless you’re working for them. So I will have great loyalty to this team. I obviously have a soft spot for Atlanta United, and the Dynamo, too, because that was a great opportunity when I got to dabble in some MLS, but I think this is a new transition. It’s something I’m excited about, and I will definitely be behind this team one thousand percent.

AA: Since you’ve worked at a lot of these multi-sport stadiums, do you have any thoughts about the changes to Bank of America Stadium? What would you like to see for the space?

TB: I’ll leave that to Mr. (David) Tepper, but I think there’s some great stuff that’s going to be coming to the fans that’s going to make it an exciting, enjoyable place to be able to watch an MLS game. I think how they started doing that Panthers on Mint Street, maybe you’ll see something like that with the soccer team. I love the staff aspect of the stadium, having covered games. It’s kind of like a family atmosphere that I think will transcend onto the fans when they come out for a game, and they’ll really get to enjoy the experience here.

AA: How much time did you spend in Charlotte while covering the Panthers for NFL Network?

TB: In five seasons of covering the NFL, Charlotte is where I spent the majority of my time covering a team. There was always something happening here, so I got to build a really solid relationship with Steven Drummond and Tom Glick. Both have been instrumental and so supportive in having me come on and be part of this organization. I can’t express how thankful I am for those guys and how excited I am to work with them and be in this city. But for the time, I need to tally it up. I would get jokes from other NFL teams saying, ‘You’re never here. You’re always in Charlotte.’

AA: Sounds like you’re familiar with the city then.

TB: It has honestly felt like home to me. And this presents such a great opportunity to be a part of a first-class organization with owner David Tepper. And I’m still close to home. My parents are north of Atlanta, so I’m a straight shot down 85 when I want to go bug them. So all around this is just kind of a unique and special opportunity for me.

AA: Do you think you’ll do any crossover with the Panthers or will you focus on MLS?

TB: I don’t anticipate that. I’m always a utility player anywhere. For NFL Network, I would report, host, and occasionally did Good Morning Football, so I’ll do whatever I need to do, but my role here is to do MLS coverage.

AA: Do you know what the broadcast schedule will be yet or when you’ll post content?

TB: My first official day is Monday so I’ll find out when everybody else does.

AA: Right. It’s still early. Any favorite places in Charlotte yet?

TB: What’s really cool about Charlotte is it’s such a walkable city. I have my dog, Roman, and we’ll get out and go on walks. We’ll walk to South End and around town. Some of the restaurants here are similar to what we have in Atlanta, but one place I always stopped when I flew in here for work was Rhino Deli. I have yet to go since I’ve been living here, but it’s one of my favorite Charlotte staples. I still have a lot more exploring to do. I’ll have to add to the list and report back to you.