Haute John: NFL Hall of Famer, Former Redskin John Riggins to Host New Show on Sportsman Channel

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American sportsman, announced today that NFL Hall of Famer and former New York Jets and Washington Redskins running back John Riggins has agreed to host a new celebrity-loaded series — “Riggo on the Range” — scheduled to begin airing January 2013 on the cable network.

“Growing up in the Midwest, I have always had a love of the outdoors and a passion for hunting”

“Riggo on the Range” will treat viewers to a culinary twist on hunting, featuring guest celebrities from food, entertainment, music and sports worlds. Each segment will follow Riggins around the world in pursuit of extraordinary hunting, outdoor and cooking adventures.

“Growing up in the Midwest, I have always had a love of the outdoors and a passion for hunting,” said Riggins. “But I also love to mix it up in the kitchen. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to hunt all over the world. Each place I’ve visited has its own uniqueness and character, and I want to bring to our audience the flavor of places we’ll venture to each week, where people have been working and living off the land for centuries.”

“We’re pleased with Riggins’ decision to showcase his sportsman DNA to our enthusiasts. Sportsman Channel is about authenticity, and ‘Riggo on the Range’ successfully encapsulates that foundation,” said Graig Hale, Sportsman Channel VP of business development.

“Riggo on the Range” will be a unique show in the outdoor television category. It marries the “larger than life” persona of Riggins with his love of hunting, the outdoors and culinary arts to create a series that has never been done before. In an added twist to the show, Riggins will take his prizes from the field into the kitchen to show viewers how to create a round-table feast using the assortment of in-season game and fowl he and his guests will hunt. In the first segments, Riggins and his guests will be traveling to Kansas and New Mexico as well as locations in Canada.

Riggins’ film crew is led by Curtis Fleming, award-winning host and executive producer of “Fly Rod Chronicles.” The series is produced by Fly Fishing Explorations Inc., based in Winchester, Va.

About John Riggins

John Riggins is a well-known NFL Hall of Famer and former professional football player in the National Football League. Riggins received numerous awards throughout his career, including recognition as the Jets’ Most Valuable Player in 1972 and 1975, a Pro Bowl appearance, MVP in Super Bowl XVII with the Redskins, and the Bert Bell Award for the Professional American Football Player of the Year. Riggins ended his career with the Washington Redskins, playing from 1976-1979 and again from 1981-1985. Though he spent his professional life playing football, Riggins has always had a passion for the outdoors and has hunted all over the globe. His love of hunting stems from watching Harold Ensley on “The Sportsman’s Friend,” a Riggins family television favorite while growing up in Centralia, Kan. Riggins played college football at the University of Kansas, where he majored in journalism. Please visit www.riggo44.com for more information, or follow Riggins on Twitter: @Riggo44.

About Sportsman Channel

Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches more than 31.2 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Please visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com for more information, or follow us on Twitter: @SPORTSMANchnl.