Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/399784
s a kid, Tyoka Jackson used to watch football and basketball games on TV with the volume turned down, providing his own im- promptu color analysis in place of the professional commentary. Years later, after he joined the Penn State football team, he would crack up his teammates and coaches with impressions of Dick Vitale and other popular sports announc- ers. It was pure improvisational theater, but beneath the jokey banter was a very real desire to someday break into broad- casting. That day has arrived. An All-Big Ten defensive end for the Nittany Lions and 12-year NFL veteran with stops in Mi- ami, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Detroit, Jackson has brought his considerable expertise to the Big Ten Network this season. He is serving as a studio analyst on "BTN Live," appearing once every other week to discuss the latest hap- penings around the league with host Dave Revsine and former Iowa quarter- back Chuck Long. For Jackson, the on-air spot at BTN has been the culmination of a long-held ambition, one that began taking shape in front of the TV set all those years ago, and one that required more than a little perseverance. "It's something that I've always had fun with and enjoyed," he said. "And as I got older, I thought, 'Maybe one day I'll find myself in a chair talking about sports.' It was something that was always in the back of my mind as a player. "I don't have any idea why I didn't major in communications, but I didn't. Even throughout my 12-year [NFL] career, I had a radio show for about six of those years and made numerous television ap- pearances, and I would go into news stu- dios and it was something that came nat- urally to me. After I retired and made some headway in the business world, I always thought, 'This broadcasting thing is there, and if I don't try to get a hold of it in the near future, no one is going to remember or care who Tyoka Jackson is. So I'd better get serious and see if I can give this thing a shot.' " As a studio analyst, Jackson may be called upon to talk about just about any Big Ten-related subject, from the uproar over Michigan's handling of injured quar- terback Shane Morris to the best plays of the month to the divisional championship races. To prepare for his segments, he watches replays of every Big Ten game and pores over stats and storylines, work- ing side by side with the production crew to deliver an entertaining and insightful show. "The Big Ten Network has a great in- frastructure," Jackson said. "It's not just the three people you see live on the show. It's a whole group of staff members behind the camera who do an incredible job." Jackson's opportunity came via the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp, in which current and former pros seeking to transition into the media are groomed for jobs in the field. Camp organizers are choosy about who gets in. Jackson's initial application was rejected, as was his second. But he was persistent, and his determination paid off; he was accepted on his third try. "Much like my NFL career, I failed a couple of times early," he said. "They didn't choose me to get in, but I kept grinding." The camp takes place at NFL Films headquarters in Mt. Laurel, N.J. Players study tapes, learn about studio operations and work with veteran broadcasters such as James Brown, Ron Jaworski, Curt Mene- fee and Brian Baldinger. They also provide simulated game analysis alongside play- by-play announcers from the Philadelphia TALKING POINTS Tyoka Jackson gets his say as a Big Ten Network studio analyst | A "I don't have any idea why I didn't major in communica- tions, but I didn't. Even throughout my [NFL] ca- reer... I would go into news studios and it was something that came naturally to me." TYOKA JACKSON