15 Best Athletes Turned Broadcasters

By Seth Lassen

15 Best Athletes Turned Broadcasters

2014 NBA Finals Game Three — Based on their knowledge and love of their sport, you would think most athletes could become successful broadcasters after their playing careers are over. This belief has been proven false time and time again...sorry, Emmitt Smith. Some former athletes had even better careers in the booth than on the field, so with that here are the 15 best athletes turned broadcasters.

15. Chris Collinsworth

Chris Collinsworth

15. Chris Collinsworth

Chris Collinsworth — Before replacing John Madden on Sunday Night Football, Chris Collinsworth played eight seasons as a wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals. Like most broadcasters, Collinsworth has his critics but his opinionated style has grown on viewers over the past couple years.

14. Bob Uecker

Bob Uecker

14. Bob Uecker

Bob Uecker — The Brewers' play-by-play announcer since 1971, Uecker became an iconic baseball figure following his role as an announcer in the movie “Major League.” Uecker has managed a much more successful career as a broadcaster than he did as a player. Hitting only .200 with 14 home runs, his career on the field lasted only six seasons. Johnny Carson had Uecker as a guest on “The Tonight Show” over 100 times and gave him the nickname “Mr. Baseball.”

13. Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson

13. Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson — When Jackson left ESPN as a broadcaster to become the Golden State Warriors head coach, many basketball fans were left saying Jackson’s famous catchphrase, “Mama there goes that man.” Jackson retired with the second most assists in NBA history (currently fourth) after a 17-year career. Jackson was fired by the Warriors following the 2014 season and immediately was rehired by ESPN as an announcer.

12. Pat Summerall

Pat Summerall

12. Pat Summerall

Pat Summerall — Summerall became such a legend as a broadcaster alongside his partner John Madden that most people do not realize he was an NFL kicker for 10 seasons. Over the course of his 10-year career with Detroit, Chicago, and New York, Summerall kicked 100 field goals and 257 extra points. Summerall has called a record-high 16 Super Bowls.

11. Bill Walton

Bill Walton

11. Bill Walton

Bill Walton — The Hall of Fame big man had perhaps the most improbable path to make the list as he had to overcome a stuttering problem on his way to becoming a broadcaster. Walton is not for everyone’s taste with his unique broadcasting style and sound, but there is no doubt he is entertaining with his frequent use of hyperbole. Walton unfortunately does not call as many games nowadays since undergoing back surgery in 2009.

10. Ron Jaworski

Ron Jaworski

10. Ron Jaworski

Ron Jaworski — Before “Jaws” started what would become a brilliant broadcasting career, he played 17 NFL seasons with the Rams, Dolphins, Eagles, and Chiefs. Jaworski was a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Football from 2007 until 2012. His strength as a broadcaster is his ability to explain the intricacies of football to the average fan who otherwise would not understand.

9. Mary Carillo

Mary Carillo

9. Mary Carillo

Mary Carillo — Carillo did not have a very illustrious career as a tennis pro, reaching only as high as No. 33 in the rankings. Off the court, she made her mark as a tennis analyst and was given the distinction of “The Sport’s Top Analyst” by Sports Illustrated. She currently is a reporter for NBC Sports and for NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games.

8. Mickey Redmond

Mickey Redmond

8. Mickey Redmond

Mickey Redmond — Unfortunately for hockey fans outside of the Detroit area, Redmond is the color analyst for the Detroit Red Wings, leaving most of the country unable to hear him call games. Redmond became the seventh player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season when he scored 52 for the Wings in 1973. Known for creative calls that have become known as “Mickeyisms,” Redmond was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame for contributions to broadcasting.

7. Phil Simms

Phil Simms

7. Phil Simms

Phil Simms — The CBS NFL announcer and analyst won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants before moving off the field and into the booth. In addition to calling Super Bowls XXX and XXXII, Simms has hosted “Inside the NFL” on Showtime and voiced numerous Madden video games.

6. Frank Gifford

Frank Gifford

6. Frank Gifford

Frank Gifford — Gifford was part of what most consider to be the best trio in Monday Night Football history. Along with Howard Cosell and Don Meredith, Gifford helped turn Monday Night Football into a perfect blend of football knowledge, analysis, and humor. During a 12-year career with the New York Giants, Gifford scored 77 touchdowns.

5. John McEnroe

John McEnroe

5. John McEnroe

John McEnroe — Even with a legendary and successful career, McEnroe is better known for his outbursts on the court and he carries over that attitude with him to the broadcast booth. What makes McEnroe such a great tennis broadcaster is how he livens up the matches he calls. With his opinionated and abrasive commentary, he is able to bring in and hook the casual fan to a sport they otherwise would not be watching.

4. Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley

4. Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley — While he’s become the butt of some hilarious jokes on the set of the outstanding TNT NBA pre- and post-game show “Inside the NBA,” Barkley provides some of the best commentary in the business. “Chuck” and the rest of the TNT crew manage to somehow fit in quality basketball analysis while seemingly never stopping to provide the best entertainment in sports broadcasting today.

3. Kenny Smith

Kenny Smith

3. Kenny Smith

Kenny Smith — One of Barkley’s cohorts on “Inside the NBA,” Kenny Smith’s back-and-forth banter with Barkley is as good as it gets. Along with host Ernie Johnson, Smith is the glue that at times needs to hold the rambunctious crew together. In addition, the former Houston Rocket boasts two championship rings, which help give his analysis some validity.

2. Doug Collins

Doug Collins

2. Doug Collins

Doug Collins — As a former head coach of four NBA teams and a former first-overall pick, no basketball announcer has more knowledge than Doug Collins. He started his broadcasting career by calling games between stints as the head coach of the Wizards and the 76ers. Collins currently serves as an NBA analyst for ESPN.

1. Don Meredith

Don Meredith

1. Don Meredith

Don Meredith — Meredith played nine successful seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, finishing his career with 135 touchdowns and over 17,000 passing yards. Following his retirement, Meredith moved into the Monday Night Football booth with Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford. Once the outcome of the game was clear, Meredith, known for adding comic relief to the broadcast, would sing the Willie Nelson lyrics, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.”

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