A byline built to last: Tom Boswell’s journey to the Red Smith Award

Tom Boswell played many sports while growing up in Washington, D.C., but he’s a self-proclaimed “mediocre athlete.” 

“I was a typical high school Harry,” Boswell said. “The guy who tries everything.” 

In high school, Boswell was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, baseball, and golf. His passion for sports continued at Amherst College, where he played one year of baseball and earned his degree in 1969.

Nearly six decades later, Boswell retired in 2021 after a distinguished career as a longtime sports columnist for The Washington Post. He covered the Masters Tournament 41 times, authored numerous columns and books, and in 2025 received the prestigious Red Smith Award from the Associated Press Sports Editors, honoring his lifetime achievement in sports journalism.

Boswell’s tenure with the Post started after graduation as a copy aide. He described his role as a night shift “coffee-fetcher and phone answerer.” It was humble beginnings, but a call about someone breaking the world duckpin bowling record jump-started a lifetime of national sports writing. 

“I think the best thing that ever happened to me was having to start at the bottom,” Boswell said. “That got me in the paper the next day with a byline.” 

Boswell soon became a general assignment reporter, covering things like Georgetown basketball, high school sports and Major League Baseball. 

The tenure allowed Boswell to become polished before taking over as sports columnist in 1984.

“You learn to make every mistake on the obscure places and screw up everything you can screw up in an area,” Boswell said. “You also learn how much it hurts people's feelings when you get things wrong and things that impact them.” 

George Solomon started with the Post in 1975 and was Boswell’s long-time editor. He said it was the manner in which Boswell wrote his stories that took Boswell to the top. 

“He brought a great excitement to everything he covered,” Solomon said. “Whether it was baseball, golf, boxing — he took it to another level. And it was a pleasure to read him, and it was my honor to edit him.”

Boswell credited the excitement to his optimistic mindset. He blended his background as an English literature major with his sports background and wrote plenty — his favorite piece being a profile on Bill Veeck, a long-time owner and MLB Hall of Famer. The 1981 story was Boswell’s longest and was featured as a director’s cut on Grantland. 

Post columnist Barry Svrluga became one of Boswell’s recent mentees, joining as a Nationals beat writer in 2005. He was roommates with Boswell in spring training and the two covered many hallmark events together.

Svrluga said he was wowed by Boswell’s preparedness.

“He has an amazing gift of making his columns seem kind of easy and lyrical and like fun,” Svrluga said. “But he kind of hides how much work goes into them.” 

Before arriving at sports venues, Svrluga said Boswell would have hundreds of storylines in mind and would shift on a dime based on who was available. Boswell was also a curious soul and willing to talk to anyone.

His influence was clear. Boswell is a hall of famer in the National Sports Media Association, the DC Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and DC Sports and was named the 2025 BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipient. 

He now brings home an honor Solomon, Shirley Povich and many of the best sports journalists have been awarded. He adds it to his bulk of accolades, leaving Svrluga stunned when Boswell was announced as the Red Smith Award winner.

“My honest reaction was, ‘Oh, my God, he didn't win it like 10 years ago?’” Svrluga said. “I would have thought that kind of he would have won all the career awards there are to win by now.”