After 16 years of writing thought-provoking and popular columns for The Kansas City Star, Jason Whitlock is leaving the paper to pursue other interests.

Whitlock joined The Star in 1994 as a general-interest sports columnist after writing for newspapers in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Charlotte, N.C. He immediately struck a chord with local readers and ultimately developed a national audience through his column and work in other media, including radio and television.

In 2008, he won a National Journalism Award for commentary from The Scripps Howard Foundation. He was the first sportswriter to win this honor. He also has won numerous other awards and has appeared on programs as varied as Oprah Winfrey, Lou Dobbs and ESPN’s "The Sports Reporters." He continues to write columns for FoxSports.com.

A 1990 graduate of and former football starter at Ball State University, Whitlock is an Indianapolis native.