Like a lot of NFL fans, Amanda Harris is spending some extra time this week going over stats and experts’ opinions leading into the league’s draft that begins Thursday night.

Then, she plans on talking to quite a few of the players themselves.

Harris, a radio producer for V105.5 FM and News Talk 107.7 FM, will head to Kansas City this week to cover the NFL draft for the two Vicksburg stations. No other radio stations in Mississippi have been credentialed to be on site at the draft.

“This is a huge opportunity. Not only for myself, but for the radio station, for Vicksburg and for Mississippi,” Harris said.

Harris’ reports will air on the “Morning Blitz with T.J. and Nick B.” show on Friday morning, from 8:15 to 9 a.m. on 107.7 FM. The show will also be available on vicksburgradio.com after it airs live.

The Morning Blitz show is co-hosted by T.J. Mayfield and Nick Bridges, and started in 2021. It has featured interviews with not only local sports figures, but several national ones as well.

Harris said some of those interviews came about simply by reaching out to various leagues and teams and hoping for the best. It was a similar approach to how she got selected to cover the NFL Draft.

She’d applied several times for media credentials to the draft, but was turned down each time. NFL media policies typically give preference for the limited space on radio row to national outlets or those in a team’s home market.

“This is my third time applying for it. I got an email from the NFL office asking why I should get credentials. They were asking questions,” Harris said. “I answered back and the next day I got approved. I was jumping for joy. I could not believe it.”

Harris will have a spot on radio row for all three days of the draft. While she calls it a dream assignment, it will be a lot of work.

The draft begins Thursday night, and Harris will spend much of the day and evening chasing down whoever she can — players, NFL and college coaches, executives, and even other radio hosts if they are available. Most of the projected first-round picks will be in Kansas City for the draft, which is one of the NFL’s biggest events.

Harris invited listeners to send her questions for potential interview subjects.

“I’ve been getting questions from different people. If anybody wants to send me a question to ask, they can email me at amanda@vicksburgv105.com,” she said.

Harris also thanked some of the show’s sponsors. She said Robbie’s Automotive, Goldie’s Express, Wells & LaHatte, 601 Sports and the Biscuit Company all contributed to help fund the trip.

Harris plans to spend most of Thursday night editing the interviews into radio segments. In the wee hours of the morning, she’ll likely record Friday’s “Morning Blitz” show with Mayfield and Bridges, since it airs before radio row opens at 10 a.m.

When radio row does open, it’s back to there for more interviews and information-gathering.

“People hear the radio, but they don’t see what happens at the radio station. There’s so much going on behind the scenes,” Harris said.

It’ll be much more of a work trip than a vacation, Harris added. But she’s also well aware that the chance to cover a major event like this doesn’t come around often for a radio station from Vicksburg.

“It’s going to be hard, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am ecstatic about it,” Harris said. “To be able to represent the radio station, the Morning Blitz radio show, represent Vicksburg and representing all of the radio stations from Mississippi, there’s no words to explain how I feel.”

NFL DRAFT ON TV
Thursday, April 27
7 p.m. ABC/ESPN/NFLN – Round 1
Friday, April 28
6 p.m. ABC/ESPN/NFLN – Rounds 2-3
Saturday, April 29
11 a.m. ABC/ESPN/NFLN – Rounds 4-7

ON THE RADIO:
• “The Morning Blitz with T.J. and Nick B.” airs Friday mornings, from 8:15 to 9 a.m. on 107.7 FM. Episodes are also available on demand at vicksburgradio.com