Why I serve on the Board: I dedicate my time serving on the Board for the Marine Raider Foundation to honor my late cousin, Captain Ford Shaw III. Ford was killed in 2015 in a Blackhawk Helicopter crash. I want to keep his name present, and in the minds of those who support our Marines and members of other military branches. Ford and his teammates died an honorable death serving our great country. Ford always had a smile from ear to ear, a laugh that would make you laugh too, and a personality larger than life. He was like a brother to me, and I miss him every day. I’m glad the Marine Raider Foundation offers us a place to pay tribute to women and men we have lost, and those who are still with us.
Kathryn Tappen, one of NBC Sports’ most versatile voices, is the sideline reporter for Big Ten Saturday Night – the primetime Big Ten Football game which airs each week on NBC and streams live on Peacock. Tappen served as studio host for USA Network’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, marking Tappen’s sixth Olympics in her broadcasting role. Tappen also serves as a host and reporter for TNT Sports and the NHL Network. Tappen joined NBC Sports in 2014. She has served as a host or reporter on many of the biggest events in sports, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football, NFL Kickoff, Notre Dame Football, Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final, and was lead interviewer for NBC Sports’ golf coverage across the PGA TOUR and major championships.
In March 2020, Tappen anchored studio coverage as part of an all-female crew that marked the first NHL game broadcasted and produced solely by women in the U.S.
Prior to joining NBC Sports, Tappen spent four years as host of NHL Tonight at the NHL Network (2011-2015). During her time at the NHL Network, NHL Live was nominated twice for a Sports Emmy. Prior to that, she spent five years with the New England Sports Network (NESN) where she was the lead studio host for Boston Bruins games, and reported on the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Celtics. In 2014, Tappen was honored with the “Woman of Inspiration” Award by the Boston, Massachusetts chapter of WISE. In addition, her sports feature reporting has also been nominated for two Boston/New England Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Tappen also earned an Associated Press Award in 2006 for her sports feature “Swim Meet.”
In addition to her work on air, Tappen is a Board Member on the Marine Raider Foundation, as well as a volunteer for the Guide Dog Foundation and an ambassador for America’s VetDogs.
Tappen grew up in Morristown, New Jersey and was an Academic All-American at Rutgers University (N.J.), where she was a member of the track & field and cross-country teams. During her career as a Scarlet Knight, she was a Big East Academic All-Star and the former record holder in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase.