By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) proudly announces Chuck Hammer as its “Hoops for Heroes” ambassador at the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships.
A Martin native and lifelong Skyhawk fan, Hammer served honorably in the United States Navy aboard the USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 from 2007-12. He was deployed twice – once for six months in the western Pacific in 2009 before a seven-month assignment to the US 5th and 7th Fleet Areas of Responsibility (Combat Zone – Operation New Dawn).
Hammer used his GI Bill to attend UT Martin, where he racked up several awards as program director of the nationally award-winning campus radio station WUTM 90.3 FM “The Hawk”. He was named “Best Program Director in the Nation” by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, receiving that honor at the organization’s annual conference in New York City in March 2016. He graduated from UT Martin two months later with a degree in communications.
Since June 2016, Hammer has worked as part of the Fox Sports Shoals team while serving as program director for WSBM Radio 1340 AM. He has earned Alabama Broadcasters Association Medium Market Sports Broadcaster of the Year accolades in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Hammer currently resides in Sheffield, Ala. with his wife Jade (also a UT Martin alum) and twins Colby and Calleigh.
The OVC’s “Hoops for Heroes” initiative is currently in its 11th year as the OVC SAAC representatives created the program as a way to honor military men and women in OVC communities. The honorees receive a two-night hotel stay in Evansville, Ind., up to four tickets to the Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 tournament sessions, as well as gas and meal gift cards.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information