Ron Franklin
| Ron Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 2, 1942 Jackson, Mississippi |
| Education | University of Mississippi |
| Notable credit(s) | Jake Wade Memorial Award |
| Title | Play-by-Play Commentator / Co-Host Outdoors Events |
Ron Franklin (born February 2, 1942) is an American sportscaster. He was employed by ESPN from 1987 to 2011. He was fired by ESPN on January 4, 2011, after making sexist comments to a colleague. Franklin brought a wrongful termination suit against his former employer, alleging breach of contract by ESPN. The parties settled out of court.
Franklin grew up in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. His mother allowed him to play sports in school as long as he also agreed to take voice lessons. His family moved to Oxford, Mississippi when he was 14. He suffered a head injury in high school that resulted in the formation of a blood clot that ended his football career and made him ineligible for the military. Around the same time he found work as a teen disc jockey, which got him interested in combining his interests in broadcasting and sports.
While a student at the University of Mississippi, Franklin worked the wake-up shift at a radio station, attended classes during the day, and then returned to the station in the evening to work on commercials. For further vocal training, he performed in college theater. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Prior to ESPN, he was basketball and football play-by-play commentator for the University of Texas from 1983 to 1988. He was the play-by-play voice of the Houston Oilers from 1977 to 1982. He also worked as sports director for four different local news stations: KSWS in Roswell, New Mexico in 1965, KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1967 to 1971, KHOU-TV and KPRC-TV, both in Houston, Texas from 1971 to 1980 and 1980 to 1987 respectively.
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