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If you walked the floor at Fanatics Fest this past weekend, you likely saw a who’s who of sports legends, celebrities, and prominent influencers. But amidst the chaos of the massive event, one media personality seemed to be absolutely everywhere, securing interviews with some of the biggest names on the planet.
He isn’t a veteran network anchor or a retired Hall of Famer. He is 13-year-old Elijah, or Eli, the official brand ambassador and resident “kid reporter” for the trading card scanning app CollX.
With stunning poise, natural charisma, and a microphone in hand, Eli has spent the last 4 years interviewing everyone from Tom Brady to Victor Wembanyama. But his journey from a young collector opening boxes in his bedroom to a viral media sensation is as much a story about the changing landscape of sports media as it is about the trading card hobby itself.
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Elijah with Jason Sudeikis at Fanatics Fest 2026 post interview.
From Target Blasters to Center Stage
Like many young collectors, Eli’s deep dive into the hobby was fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the internet. “I think just watching people on YouTube ripping packs, that was pretty cool during COVID,” Eli recalled. “Just my love for the hobby, I wanted to express it with everybody else on the internet.”
His collecting roots actually go back slightly further to 2018, when he would frequent Target looking for blaster and mega boxes, hoping to chase down the highly coveted Luka Doncic rookie cards.
Around that same time, CollX was in its early stages of development. Today, the app boasts over five million users and recently took home the title of “Innovation of the Year” at the Mantel Hobby Awards. But back then, David Grzybowski, now the VP of Content & Merchandising at CollX, was simply looking for organic ways to build the brand.
Grzybowski, a former TV reporter who worked in the Philadelphia and Raleigh markets, stumbled across a video posted by Eli’s father, Matt, showing the young collector ripping packs. Sensing a natural spark, Grzybowski reached out and sent Eli a care package complete with a T-shirt, stickers, and some packs.
That small gesture evolved into an official invitation to the 2022 National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City. CollX secured media passes, brought Eli into the back rooms, and threw him right into the fire.
His very first interview? NFL legend Joe Theismann.
“I was like nine or ten at the time, I really didn’t know who Joe Theismann was,” Eli admitted with a laugh.
His father, Matt, remembers the moment vividly. “I was more nervous than he was,” Matt said. “He came to me and asked, ‘Who’s Joe Theismann?’ and I didn’t have time to answer it. David kind of just threw him in there.”
Despite the nerves, Eli grabbed the microphone and naturally delivered his opening line: “We’re here with the one and only Joe Theismann.” Theismann loved it, and a star was officially born.
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Elija interviewing Joe Theismann in 2022 at the National in Atlantic City
Creating Viral Moments
Since that fateful day in Atlantic City, Eli has conducted nearly 100 interviews with athletes and celebrities. He operates largely on the fly, brainstorming questions with Grzybowski in the fleeting seconds before a star walks by.
This spontaneous, boots-on-the-ground approach has led to some massive viral moments. During Fanatics Fest, Eli and Grzybowski managed to position themselves near the 40/40 Club blue carpet. When music mogul Jay-Z walked by, Eli saw his window.
“I’m like, ‘Jay-Z, one quick question!'” Eli recalled. “And then I get lifted by a security guard over the barricade, and the rest is history. It did very well on all platforms and was just a great interview.”
He has also developed a knack for asking questions that seasoned reporters might overlook. His current go-to question for athletes is to ask them what specific career moment they would choose to immortalize on a trading card. But his personal favorite exchange happened with NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Eli asked the towering Spurs star if he was the smallest person to ever interview him. Wembanyama quickly replied, “I was with Kevin Hart a few hours ago, so no.”
A Broadcaster in the Making
For CollX, partnering with Eli has fundamentally shifted their marketing strategy. Instead of traditional app advertising, they have pivoted entirely to authentic storytelling, a move that gained their Instagram account 20,000 followers over the last year.
“Eli to me is the perfect example of a CollX user,” Grzybowski explained. “A young collector who… is trying to find out what cards are worth, buying cards, leveling up, and making sports cards their side hustle.”
But Grzybowski sees potential in Eli that extends far beyond the trading card hobby. With co-signs from industry heavyweights like Stephen A. Smith, who praised Eli’s chops during Fanatics Fest, the ceiling is remarkably high. “He’s getting in his chops”, Stephen later told David.
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Elijah and David at Fanatics Fest 2026
“When someone has it in media, they have it,” Grzybowski said. “He comes across very authentic for his age. I look at Eli as like a mini Ian Eagle and Adam Lefkoe in waiting. I can’t imagine what he’s going to be like five years from now when he’s doing big events that are not just cards.”
As for Eli, the 13-year-old remains remarkably grounded. He is getting ready to hunt for his personal “grail” card, the Dylan Harper Debut Patch, and has his sights set on eventually interviewing LeBron James and Kevin Hart. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, his answer is immediate and unsurprising.
“A broadcaster, a sports reporter,” Eli said. “Just doing what I’m doing right now.”
Who should we talk to next? Let us know on Instagram or X. Download the Mantel app for more.
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