10 Former Professional Athletes Who Have Transitioned To Broadcasting

The world of sports broadcasting is unlike any other. Most of the journalists and reporters aren't just fans of the game they're reporting, they actually used to play the game. For athletes, it seems like a no-brainer to jump into the broadcasting world since it's an easy transition from playing the sport they loved to reporting about the sport they love. Not only do these former athletes have a good connection to teams, players, and organizations, but they also have a good eye for the game. They're able to get in the mind of an athlete and predict what they might do next or what they're thinking during a play. With a cult-like following and an incredible fanbase, here are 10 broadcasters who used to play professionally.

Troy Aikman

Troy Aikman is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Dallas Cowboys for 12 seasons. After winning three Super Bowls, being nominated for six Pro Bowls, and winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 1997, he decided to hang up the cleats and found the next best thing: commentating for the sport that gave him so much.

Commentating for Fox NFC, Aikman also dabbles in his own talk show on Thursday nights via Sporting News Radio. In 2004, the former All-American was also up for an Emmy Award nomination for his broadcasting duties during five Super Bowls.

9 Mary Carillo

Mary Carillo was a professional tennis player who retired early on in her career due to a knee injury. However, the tennis professional turned to sportscasting once her time on the court ran out. Bouncing among networks, Carillo worked with the USA Network, PBS, MSG, ESPN, and has also done Olympic coverage. Spreading her talents in other areas, Carillo's colorful commentaries have also been seen on Hallmark's Paw Star Game and the Kitten Bowl.

The tennis star has definitely found her calling on TV, receiving two Peabody awards, two Broadcaster of the Year Awards for the Women's Tennis Association, and most recently winning the Thurston Award in 2016.

8 Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is most known for his years of hard work and dedication with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed A-Rod, the MLB standout started his professional debut with the Seattle Mariners, only to bounce to the Rangers, and lastly to the Yankees. After winning the World Series in 2009 and being a 14x All-Star, the longtime Yankee decided to call it quits in 2016. But he wouldn't be leaving the game for good. A-Rod stayed with the Yankees as a "special advisor." In March the following year, the MLB announced that Rodriguez turned to broadcasting full time, working as a game analyst for Fox MLB Saturdays and their pregame coverage.

7 Kara Lawson

Kara Lawson is a former college and WNBA player who played in the league for 12 seasons. Having played for the Sacramento Monarchs, Connecticut Sun, and Washington Mystics, Lawson retired from playing to focus on broadcasting. Three years after retirement, Lawson is living out her dream, reporting on the game that got her to where she is. After starting out broadcasting for the WNBA, Lawson broke records by becoming the first woman to broadcast an NBA game nationwide in 2007. Ten years later, Lawson was made a primary TV analyst for the Washington Wizards.

After getting the job and making history, Lawson stated, " There's only 30 of these jobs, and with that said, there's only one of these jobs, because this is where I'm from. So while I would have been thrilled to have any job in the league, this one's different. And this one fits me all the way around. [sic]"

6 Cris Collinsworth

Cris Collinsworth is a former NFL wide receiver who played eight full seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. After having a stellar career, going to three Pro-Bowls, Collinsworth opted for the broadcasting life. After calling it quits on the field, Cris started his career hosting a local Cincinnati radio show on WLW. A year after retiring from the sport, he became a reporter for HBO's Inside the NFL. And today in 2018, Collinsworth works with NBC on Sunday Night Football, the NFL Network, and Showtime. If his knowledge for the game is any indication, Collinsworth's passion has led him to win 16 Emmy Awards and NBC Sports calling him "The most honored studio analyst in sports television."

5 Dottie Pepper

Dottie Pepper rules both the golf course and the TV with her knowledge and athleticism. Joining the LPGA Tour in 1988, Dottie won 17 events and two major championships. The remarkable player had to end her long career in 2002 due to an injury, but she stayed close to the game by becoming a golf commentator for both men and women's events on behalf of NBC and the Golf Channel. However, after 10 years on the course, Pepper decided to retire from commentating so she could spend more time with her family. But she just couldn't stay away: A year later she signed on with ESPN and later, CBS.

4 Keith Jones

Veteran NHL player Keith Jones is now an analyst for the NBC Sports' NHL coverage, but before his time on camera, he used to be a player on the ice for eight seasons. In 1998, Jones was drafted by the Washington Capitals where he started his professional career, gaining a whole lot of penalty minutes along the way. He later ended his years of playing hockey in 2002 due to knee pain with the Philadelphia Flyers. But Philly must have struck a chord with the Canadian athlete because he's now an analyst for the team on top of commentating for NBCSN (while also frequently popping up on TSN).

3 Chiney Ogwumike

Chiney Ogwumike is just 26 years old and has already made her mark in college and professional basketball, along with broadcasting. After playing four years at Stanford, Ogwumike started her professional resume with the Connecticut Sun. After professionally starting her career with the WNBA in 2014, she also won WNBA Rookie of the Year that same year. A nasty knee injury led to Ogwumike skipping the 2015-16 season, which led her to think about life after basketball. The sport has definitely opened its doors because just four years after beginning her pro career (as recent as May 2018), Ogwumike took a full-time job as a sports analyst for ESPN.

2 Kenny Smith

Kenny "The Jet" Smith is a beloved former NBA player and current sports analyst. The former guard played a whopping 10 years in the league before retiring in 1997 with the Orlando Magic. Right after retiring from the game, the Queens native began broadcasting for Turner Sports. He later began working on Inside the NBA, which won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show. But Smith's talent is infectious, commentating for the New York Knicks on MSG, the NCAA men's tournament, and NBA TV. Although Smith has been in broadcasting since the late '90s, TMZ found out that he's also interested in coaching, having interviewed for the head coach of the Knicks.

1 Judy Rankin

At the tender age of 17, Judy Rankin joined the LPGA, winning 26 events and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame — along with the Texas Golf Hall of Fame (although oddly enough, she's never won a major championship). After winning LPGA Player of the Year twice, she retired in the early '80s due to back pain. Golf kept her strong though, as she started commentating a year after retirement for ESPN and ABC. After years of dedication and amazing coverage, Rankin became a lead analyst for the Golf Channel and adviser for golf magazines, Golf Digest and Golf for Women.

Resources: Complex, TouchdownWire, Ozy