1. Jim Brandstatter served as a radio announcer for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1979 to 2021, and for the Detroit Lions from 1987 to 2017.
23 Facts About Jim Brandstatter
1. 2.
Jim Brandstatter played college football for the Wolverines, from 1969 to 1972, where he was a standout offensive tackle.
3.
Jim Brandstatter has written two non-fiction books about UM experiences, both of which were best-sellers in the sports category.
4.
Jim Brandstatter leaving the Detroit Lions radio broadcast was announced on July 10,2018.
5.
Jim Brandstatter was born in East Lansing, Michigan, one of five boys born to Art Jim Brandstatter Sr.
6.
The elder Jim Brandstatter worked as a Detroit Police officer before becoming head of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice, and later head of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.
7.
Jim Brandstatter entered the University of Michigan in the fall of 1968, and played that year on the freshman reserve football squad.
8.
Jim Brandstatter later noted one of his favorite memories as a player came in a 1971 victory against Michigan State.
9.
Jim Brandstatter made the All-Big Ten team in 1971 and played in two Rose Bowls, during his time with Michigan.
10.
Jim Brandstatter signed with the New England Patriots of the National Football League after going undrafted in the 1972 NFL draft, but was released during training camp in June.
11.
Jim Brandstatter joined the Lansing All Stars of the Midwest Football League in August 1974, where his brother Art was the head coach.
12.
Jim Brandstatter played with the team in 1975 when they became the Lansing Capitals.
13.
In 1975, Jim Brandstatter was sports director at WILX-TV in the Lansing area.
14.
In 1980, while working at WDIV, Jim Brandstatter became the host of Michigan Replay, a weekly half-hour discussion, interview, and highlights program about Michigan Wolverines football.
15.
Besides football, Jim Brandstatter has broadcast golf on the Michigan Open Golf Championship radio and television network, and was an associate producer on the Ameritech Showdown, the Emmy Award winning telecast of the state's PGA Skins game tournament.
16.
Jim Brandstatter formerly hosted a weekly college football radio show, called Brandy and Bo with Coach Bo Schembechler.
17.
Jim Brandstatter could be heard calling play-by-play of his alma mater's football games on the Michigan Sports Network, teaming with color analyst Dan Dierdorf, sideline reporter Doug Karsch.
18.
From 1979 to 2013, Jim Brandstatter was the color analyst on the Michigan radio broadcasts, while Frank Beckmann called play-by-play.
19.
From 1987 until July 2018, Jim Brandstatter analyzed National Football League games on the Detroit Lions Radio Network, teaming with play-by-play man Dan Miller and sideline reporter Tony Ortiz.
20.
Jim Brandstatter has been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
21.
Jim Brandstatter twice served as the president of the Detroit Sports Media Association.
22.
In 2006, Jim Brandstatter was named by the DSMA as the Ty Tyson Award winner for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting in Michigan.
23.
Jim Brandstatter is married to broadcaster Robbie Timmons, whom he met in 1975 while they both worked at WILX-TV.