After a 52-year career at the Des Moines Register, sports reporter Randy Peterson will be retiring in April.
The newspaper announced the news Sunday with a lengthy story about Peterson’s time there.
This is a story I never thought I’d write…
After more than five decades, writing, reporting and working for the Des Moines Register, Randy Peterson, @RandyPete, is retiring. https://t.co/DbLve8wSX4
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) March 3, 2024
In the story, Peterson notes that his final column will be a retrospective of his career, featuring some of the highs and lows and most important moments he’s covered.
He certainly has plenty to choose from. Peterson’s time at the paper began in the early 70s when he was a student at Drake University, with his primary responsibility being answering newsroom phones and assisting veteran reporters. Eventually, he was offered a full-time position with the paper and was assigned to both the basketball and football beats of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones.
Former Register sports editor Bryce Miller spoke glowingly of Peterson’s work ethic, saying, “As soon as his eyelids opened, he was on the clock in his mind,” Miller said. “He was going to get as much out of that day as he could. He just worked really hard.”
It hasn’t been all positive for Peterson. In 2015, he suffered a broken leg following a court-storming incident when Iowa State pulled off an 83-82 comeback win over Iowa. To Peterson’s credit, he maintained a sense of humor about the incident, tweeting “Ouch” later that evening.
Ouch
— Randy Peterson (@RandyPete) December 11, 2015
So dedicated was Peterson that he continued writing from the hospital and eventually returned to games, albeit on crutches.
[Des Moines Register, Randy Peterson]
About Robert O'Neill