I can still remember calling my first ever game for NBC. It was in 2013. Stamford Bridge. Manchester City against Chelsea. The cameras came on… and? My legs were shaking.
It is easy to talk to no one. But on live TV, everything must be completely buttoned up. Everything has to be right on time. It’s a completely different ball game – just as Jason Kelce and Tom Brady are beginning to find out.
The former Eagles center said t*** in his very first sentence on ESPN and Brady has come in for heaps of criticism following his FOX Sports debut.
I have never watched my first game back. I’ll leave it where it belongs – in the archives! But I’m still here, 11 years later.
Brady is one game into his 10-year, $375million deal as FOX’s color commentator and Kelce is the new NFL analyst for ESPN. Two great players, two big jobs.
Both Jason Kelce and Tom Brady have moved into broadcasting for the 2024 NFL season
DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard has forged a successful career as an NBC Sports analyst
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In some ways, broadcasting is no different to playing – those same nerves hit you before a big game. The big difference? When you’re on a team, the spotlight is spread across the whole group. Behind the mic, though, once that red light turns on, it’s down to you.
I have battled OCD and Tourette Syndrome since I was a kid. But when I decided to head from the field to the studio, the biggest adjustment was understanding my cadence and my voice: how do I want to come across to the viewer? What tone will I take? How hard do I want to be?
That’s not something you ever consider in everyday life. That’s what Kelce and Brady must now figure out on the job.
The former quarterback was always going to come under fire. He faces that much scrutiny and creates that much hype. I thought he did well but he could have been flawless and it wouldn’t have mattered. People would have found something to criticize.
I still take abuse from fans but I stopped worrying about that a long time ago. Once I realized something important: as long as my employers keep giving me contracts, as long as they keep praising me, that’s all that matters. The same applies now.
Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, is widely considered the greatest quarterback ever
Kelce (No 62) spent 13 years as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles before moving into TV
This career change should prove a little smoother for Kelce. Not just because he is sitting behind a desk, rather than calling the game live. But because broadcasting feels right up his alley.
Like his brother Travis, Kelce is a big character who appeals to the masses. Unfortunately, that only carries you so far on TV. The rest comes through hard work.
When I was a player, my routine was dominated by rituals and superstition. I never found out what difference they really made – that wasn’t a risk I was willing to take! Now, as an analyst, it’s no different.
I make sure that I am prepared in every single facet. I have three times more notes than I’ll ever need on air. I’m locked in every Thursday and Friday. Even Wednesday sometimes, too. I’m watching press conferences, interviews, highlights and film. Everything.
I was warned very early on: prepare more than you’ll ever need. I remembered that and I stick to it. When I started out, I also leant on those around me at NBC – particularly Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe.
Former goalkeeper Howard was recently inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame
Howard is pictured with his fellow NBC analysts Robbie Earle (C) and Robbie Mustoe (R)
I would watch them and then quiz them: How do I handle this situation? Would you suggest a different route? If they liked what they saw, they would say. And if they didn’t? They would let me know.
The bosses at NBC are very hands on, too. They won’t let you fail – if something doesn’t work? They will tell you and they will show you how to do it differently.
So my No 1 piece of advice for Brady and Kelce? Lean on your co-hosts and find a good rhythm. Once you have that, it’s game over.
I have no doubt that Jason’s stock will continue to rise. He can become one of the great personalities of US TV. Why? He’s real. He takes his shirt off. He drinks beers. People want that and people love that.
As for Brady? Well, he went from the No 199 draft pick to the most successful quarterback of all time.
So I have no doubt he’ll be great. He’s such a confident guy that, once he gets more reps under his belt, he’ll find his voice and it’ll be smooth sailing. Honestly, once Brady finds his feet, there will be no stopping him.