Personable, conversant, well-groomed and handsome, Alema has created a lasting presence in Salt Lake City’s sports media for years. But behind the smiling face, behind the onscreen persona, there has been a constant internal struggle. It started a long time ago with painkillers, which enabled him to endure back pain and play football at Brigham Young University. Eventually, he turned to heroin and the life that came with it. For nearly two decades he was in and out of rehab programs — eight in all…
But today he is sitting in the offices of Ardu Recovery Center in Provo, Utah helping offer healing for the addicted. He is not a patient but a licensed Substance Use Disorder Counselor who finds solutions to help others overcome their struggles. His night job is on TV as a host of the Utah Jazz pre- and post-game shows on the AT&T SportsNet, but his day job is with Ardu Recovery Center. Alema Harrington is passionate about addiction recovery and loves to help others take the necessary steps to recovery and heal.