Jim Brandstatter, youngest of four boys, came from a highly
athletic achieving family. Jim’s father Art was an All-American fullback at Michigan
State. Art, the Brigadier General, was appointed to the Michigan State staff to
run the School of Criminal Justice by the President of the University John
Hannah. Jim also was expected to fill the shoes of older brother Art Jr. This
older brother was a first stringer on both the offensive and defensive side of the
ball for the Spartans. John, another brother, was an All-Tournament basketball
player and Brother Bill was a big game hunter and fisherman. Mike another
brother was a star on the state champion high school football team. The
Brandstatter’s were high achievers, attained high standards and were elite
athletes. That athletic model was clear and ingrained on, young Jim.
Jim experienced a lot of
pressure to succeed, and was expected to be like all the other Brandstatters. As
a young boy, he remembered fondly being around older brother Art when he
brought his fellow Spartan teammates to the family home. As a sophomore, Jim,
on the Junior varsity, was quickly promoted to his high school varsity team,
and lettered. This high achieving athlete received honors and lettered in
baseball as an all-city first baseman one year and an all-city catcher the
following year. He even lettered in basketball and was a co-captain in the last
game of his high school’s postseason basketball tourney.
Although Jim was expected to
attend and play football for Michigan State like his father and older brother,
he was still recruited by Coach Bump Elliott from the University Michigan and
MSU’s arch rival, no less. He caused quite the stir in the community and family
when he elected to play football in Ann Arbor. Playing for the University of
Michigan, he received all Big Ten honors in his senior year.
While in school, Jim gave up
the dream of becoming an architect and instead fell in love with all the radio
and TV classes. In fact his first position after graduating from Michigan was
for WEYI -TV in the Saginaw, Bay City and Flint area. Initially, he was a
one-man show, and worked himself up the ranks. In doing so, Jim mastered the
art of TV and radio, and quickly made it to the big time with Channel 4 in
Detroit as their sports producer.
One accomplishment led to
another as this industrious TV and radio star, created a half-hour talk show
called Michigan Replay with Coach Schembechler. Since that initial show, Jim
has interviewed all the Michigan head coaches, such as Gary Moeller, Lloyd
Carr, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke that followed, the legend Schembechler.
Last year, Mike Keller and I were on the Brady Hoke-Jim Brandstatter radio show.
This year, Mike and I will be featured on the Jim Harbaugh-Jim Brandstatter
radio show. Incidentally, Jim also does
play-by-play, on the radio with former Michigan teammate Dan Dierdorf. Oh by
the way, Jim is also the voice of the Detroit Lions. Masterful Jim has been
elected President of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association twice; Sportscaster
of the year in Michigan; has written two best-selling books; and was recently
inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. This man still achieves at the
highest levels.
More to follow regarding Jim Brandstatter
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