Adam Amin, a 2005 graduate of Addison Trail High School has burst onto the national announcing scene. Just two years after graduating from Valparaiso University, Amin found himself on television calling play-by-play for ESPN college football and basketball games.


For most aspiring broadcasters, ESPN is the ultimate goal. What does it feel like to be there before turning 30?
Forget "dream come true". I'm like...five dreams past that at this point. I'm incredibly lucky and grateful to be in this position. In my mind, I always had the thought, "I'll get there someday. I'll get there someday." But never did I ever think that I'd get a phone call at age 24 from ESPN. It's the best job in the world and I promise, I don't take it for granted.

What was your high school experience at Addison Trail like, did you get your broadcasting start there?
I was a jack of all trades, master of none. I participated in EVERYTHING I possibly could. Between football and basketball my first two years, volleyball all four years, orchestra, choir, theater, the Pay It Forward program, Best Buddies, it seemed like I never had a spare moment but that's the way I liked it and that's the way it is now! I had a great high school experience and I had a lot of freedom to explore all the things that I enjoyed doing.

As for broadcasting, I didn't even know it was a real job! I broadcasted a couple of football games my senior year for the public access station and it was just another thing to add to my list of cool things I enjoyed doing. It wasn't until an older friend of mine with whom I went to high school suggested that I join him at Valparaiso University to continue pursuing broadcasting.

Is there any one individual who has served as a mentor for you?
I could talk all day about the incredibly supportive people who I've been lucky to be surrounded by since my high school days. There were several teachers in high school, professors in college, and a number of mentors along the way that have gone to bat for me when they certainly had no reason to. I probably owe more debts than I can ever repay. Ian Eagle at CBS Sports was the guy who took the biggest chance on me, introducing me to the right people and putting his reputation on the line for me.

The IHSA was lucky enough to have you call the Girls Volleyball State Finals on www.IHSA.tv in 2009. What was that experience like?
I was so nervous! Volleyball was my sport in high school and I had actually broadcasted a ton of it on radio during college. But I had NEVER called it on TV. As a matter of fact, I hadn't worked much television at all to that point in my career. But it was an exhilarating experience to be there. To call those matches with one of my closest friends and to see the joy that those teams got to feel after winning was something that still sticks with me today. I'm just thankful that the IHSA gave me the opportunity.

What is the most memorable venue and game you have called?
It's incredibly tough to narrow it down to just one. It's hard to argue with Madison Square Garden for a basketball game when it's rocking. There are some outstanding mid-major atmospheres like Murray State, Wagner, & Austin Peay that rival the big boys. Football-wise, I was lucky enough to call Oklahoma/Oklahoma State (The BEDLAM rivalry) on ESPN Radio this year and it was an electric atmosphere when Oklahoma won in overtime. PK Park in Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals brought in some outstanding fans for the Ducks' run in the postseason. Maybe the best game I got to call was a history-maker in the NFL this year (I call NFL games on national radio along with my ESPN duties). I had the 8-1 Houston Texans against the 1-8 Jacksonville Jaguars and a matchup that looked destined to be a blowout on paper became one of the wildest games of the season. Jacksonville pushed the top team in the AFC to the brink, took them to a grueling overtime where both teams scored a field goal before Matt Schaub hooked up with Andre Johnson for a game-winning touchdown with minutes remaining. As much fun as I've ever had calling a game.

Any funny or unique experiences that have happened to you on the job?
I was calling a game in Philadelphia at Drexel University. Drexel had just won its 15th consecutive game. Now that's a great feat to win that many games in a row in the parity-filled landscape of college basketball. But I wasn't expecting streamers and balloons to be thrown on the court after the Dragons knocked off James Madison. I also was not expecting to be in mid-sentence when a big ball of streamer came flying at me and hit me in the side of the face.

Also, about 20 minutes before I called UCLA/Washington State this year, a caterer plowed into me carrying a plate of chicken parmesan. Whole shirt covered in sauce, I had to sprint downstairs to my car (which THANKFULLY was parked next to the production truck), and I changed into the shirt I was planning on wearing the next day. By the way, when I finished that game around 11:30 in Pullman, WA, I hopped in a car and drove clear across the state of Washington to Seattle, arriving at my hotel at 5 a.m. I slept for about three hours before waking up, taking a shower, and driving to CenturyLink Field to call Jets/Seahawks on radio that day.

Give us an idea of your week leading up to calling a Saturday college football game?
I'm a preparation freak. I love getting ready for games, learning everything I can about teams and players and coaches. Trying to dig for the great stories that we get the opportunity to talk about every week.
Monday - I am putting together my spotting boards. I'll use the depth charts from the previous game for both teams with numbers, names, and vitals, then plug in the updated stats and rankings. I'll add in my coaches/coordinator bios and try to get some perspective my going through the prior season's stats.
Tuesday - We usually have a conference call with the road team scheduled for Wednesday so on Tuesday, I'll dive into some press clippings, articles, previous game box scores to get some perspective on what these teams are like. Usually on Tuesday, we get that week's game notes sent to us by the team's Sports Information Directors with additional stats and storylines that we can use.
Wednesday we'll have our call with the road team's coaches and a few players where we get some great in-depth info on the season and that week's game.
Thursday is a travel day so I'll jet to the game site. On the plane, I'll organize and transfer our conference call notes to my spotting boards.
Friday, we'll have face-to-face meetings with the home team coaches and players, get our info and on Friday night, I'll finish up my boards.
Saturday morning, our crew (producer, director, analyst, graphics) and I will all have a production meeting to go over our storylines and how we'll approach that night's game. Once I write my final notes and highlight my boards, usually it's time to relax and watch some football before getting ready and heading to the stadium a few hours before the game. Once there, I'll stop in the truck to see what our graphics will look like, then head up to the booth to record any voiceovers we need done. I'll set up my materials, maybe meet with the teams' radio announcers to grab some additional notes or nuggets to use, and speak with the SIDs once more to go over pronunciations and final loose ends. We'll rehearse our open about 30 minutes before we go on-air, tighten it up, and then once we're on, we lock in for the game.

If you could call one singular event in your career, what would it be?
Very tough decision, but it would be game 7 of a World Series. Nothing matches that drama. As great as certain moments are in other sports, as great as the games can be, game 7 of the World Series just has an aura to it that is unique.