Youngstown State’s ‘Jaws’ steps up to new ESPN role

Ron Jaworski has been a studio analyst for 17 seasons.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

MIAMI — For years, Ron Jaworski has spent two days a week during the season holed up at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, N.J., studying game tape until his eyes were blurry, and then explaining his observations to viewers concisely and cogently.

The ultimate payoff for his diligence arrived this offseason, when he landed one of the marquee gigs in TV sports.

After 17 years as an ESPN studio analyst, the former NFL quarterback next week begins the job that required only a “millisecond” to accept: analyst on Monday Night Football.

“I wasn’t surprised — I was shocked,” Jaworski said during a phone conversation last week. “Calling regular-season games has always intrigued me . . . A few years ago, when I met with CBS, there was an opportunity to do games, but I felt great loyalty to ESPN.”

Strategy expert

Jaworski, a Youngstown State graduate, always has excelled at dissecting strategy and explaining nuances of the game.

But ESPN executives apparently also believe he will be more adept than predecessor Joe Theismann in generating lively dialogue with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico.

Jaworski said the chemistry among the three announcers was so “phenomenal” during a rehearsal telecast last week, that producer Jay Rothman said at halftime, ‘That’s enough. You guys have been great.’ ”

The next time they convene will be for ESPN’s Denver-San Francisco cablecast on Monday. They’ll work Dolphins-Chiefs on Thursday.

Theismann often didn’t respond to Kornheiser’s tweaks, creating awkward silence. But Jaworski seems more inclined to engage Kornheiser in spirited banter.

“Tony will take jabs, and I’ll jab back. Mike will officiate us,” Jaworski said.

The challenge, naturally, will be striking the right balance between serious football analysis and Kornheiser’s humor, sarcasm and pop culture references.

Layman’s terms

“Football will be our priority, but I am smart enough to know I will not bore people to death with minutia,” Jaworski said. “I want to bring it down so a layman can understand it. That has been one of the keys to my success. I try not to talk over peoples’ heads.”

Theismann, still miffed about his dismissal, recently told metrobostonnews.com that Jaworski “hasn’t done television.” Theismann probably meant Jaworski hasn’t been in the booth — but even that’s inaccurate.

In addition to his studio work for ESPN, Jaworski has called NFL exhibition games for three teams, announced Arena Football League games and worked a Chargers-Raiders Monday night doubleheader game for ESPN last September.

“I didn’t let that bother me,” Jaworski said of Theismann’s comment. “We’ve been lifelong friends... . I’ve only been doing TV 17 years.”

Kornheiser said he has high hopes for the revamped booth, noting Jaworski has been one of his most frequent guests on “Pardon The Interruption.”

“Jaws is really easy to be around,” Kornheiser said. “Every time he walks in a room, he lights it up. I’m optimistic that will translate into a booth. I think he’s going to be fun to be around and fun to listen to. You can say to him, ‘Oh, Jaws, what on Earth are you talking about?’ That’s good.”

Kornheiser, who characterized his performance last season as merely “OK,” won’t change his approach dramatically but said, “it has occurred to me I ought to try not to be quite as prepared with comments players have made during the week. Maybe I should try to be the person in the booth that asks questions.”