One of the NFL's biggest stars is Kimmi Chex, a 'cool, young Black girl' with Iowa ties
She chose a cocoa lipstick over cherry red. She didn't sit on the bleachers, but she grew up in the stands.
The same September weekend that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made the internet swoon when the singer pulled up at Arrowhead Stadium for a Kansas City Chiefs game, a different woman stood by his side.
Kansas City native Kimberly "Kimmi Chex" Chexnayder was present in her hometown that Friday to help host the Kelce Car Jam, a charity benefit for the pro football player's nonprofit 87 & Running .
More: Iowa grad Kimmi Chex named co-host of NFL Network flagship show 'NFL Total Access'
Five years ago, Chex was on campus as a college student in Iowa City. Now, she's one of the NFL Network's biggest stars. Late last month, she was named a co-host of the channel's flagship program , "NFL Total Access."
"It is such an incredible honor to be able to step into this role this season and at this point in my career," Chex said.
As the NFL Network celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, a 27-year-old Iowa graduate is taking center stage.
How Midwest native, Iowa grad Kimmi Chex became an NFL star
Chex grew up going to Kansas City Chiefs games with her family, which accelerated her love for professional football. Chex's hometown's initials were K.C., as are hers, so she claimed the city's home teams as her own.
"I think that Midwestern upbringing and mindset has really developed my love for sports and for football specifically," Chex said.
After high school, she attended the University of Iowa. At the state school, Chex was a member of the university's Chi Omega sorority chapter and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2018. Then, post-commencement, she joined the NFL's junior rotational analyst program which cycles participants through different departments in the league.
In 2019, a year after graduating from Iowa, she became one of the youngest people ever to sign a national television contact with the NFL. In 2022, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in sports.
"I'm so grateful for my time at Iowa and really think that none of this would have been possible if it had not been for Iowa City and Iowa and getting the privilege to work for the Iowa football team those two years," Chex said.
More: The View's Sara Haines talks coming home to Iowa, Taco John's, and hosting daytime's biggest show
How a 'cool, young Black girl' plans to host the NFL's biggest show
As she helps take the helm of the league's flagship program, "NFL Total Access," Chex hopes to put her own spin on presenting alongside co-host Mike Yam. The duo is joined by two analysts, David Carr and Michael Robinson, on the desk.
"My goal is to make the show more inclusive, more conversational, younger, more fun and bring in new audiences and demographics as we see the fanbase of the NFL growing," Chex said.
In addition to her daily work on the network, Chex appears in NFL Draft, NFL Combine and Super Bowl coverage.
She added that the NFL's changing viewership continues to better reflect the country's makeup. The NFL star, who is known for her relaxed demeanor while interviewing players, also expanded on her approach to work.
"It's very different when you walk up and you're like, 'oh my gosh, here's a cool, young Black girl who gets exactly where I'm at in my life and knows this moment,'" Chex said of her professional yet personable on-air presence.
Chex, who is in her mid-20s, noted that she is around the same age as players who join the league after being drafted, which makes her a relatable presence on television. Chex said she is focused on fostering connections and forming connections with players in the present — for a purpose.
"As I cover them in the league for the next however many years, they know at the root of it I'm still that cool young girl who got exactly where they were going," Chex continued, "so they'll always be able to disarm themselves and talk to me in a way that maybe they don't with others."
From KC to the NFL, how Chex balanced becoming a working mom
In 2022, as her career flourished, Chex found success off-air and off the football field.
Chex married media executive Jason White in January 2022. A New York Times feature in the newspaper's Style section detailed the couple's whirlwind, "warp-speed" love story.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Wilhelmina, last December. Chex said she enjoys the balancing act of becoming a working mom because she wants Wilhelmina to watch her evolve in different spaces.
"It's made me more chill and realize that there's so much more to life and so much more outside of just sports itself," Chex said of motherhood.
On her iPhone notes app, Chex tracks every sideline chat and tallies each stadium interview. Each line is a reminder of the Kansas City girl who left Iowa's campus five years ago with her cap, gown and a dream.
"I'm trying to keep good documentation of it, so that I can look back on it and tell my daughter and remember forever that the girl who had a dream accomplished that dream and that story should be celebrated."
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kimmi Chex aims to make 'NFL Total Access' fun for a new generation
