From Harvard basketball captain to the voice of NFL Sunday
In short: Before he was a mainstay of CBS Sports, James Brown was a standout athlete. After a stint in the corporate world following an unsuccessful NBA draft attempt, he transitioned into broadcasting, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable faces in American sports television.
Born in Washington, D.C., on February 25, 1951, James Talmadge Brown’s path to broadcasting was not linear. A gifted athlete, he was drafted 62nd overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 1973. However, after failing to secure a roster spot in the mid-1970s, he moved into the corporate sector, working for firms like Xerox and Eastman Kodak.
His broadcasting career began in 1984, initially providing television coverage for the Washington Bullets and serving as an analyst for The NBA on CBS. His versatility allowed him to move between roles, from play-by-play announcer for NFL and college basketball games to a reporter for the 1992 Winter Olympics. He even provided play-by-play for freestyle skiing during the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Brown’s career is defined by his tenure at major networks. He left CBS in 1994 to join Fox Sports, where he hosted the NFL pregame show alongside Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson. He also served as the lead studio host for the NHL on Fox until 1998. In 2005, he returned to CBS, where he has served as the host for The NFL Today. Beyond sports, he has contributed to CBS News and served as a substitute anchor for the CBS Evening News since 2014.
While primarily known for sports, Brown’s influence extends into business and community leadership. In 2006, he became a minority owner of the Washington Nationals, part of an investment group led by developer Ted Lerner. He was also named a Community Ambassador for AARP in 2009.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: James Brown (sportscaster)
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