Signature: James Cyril Hawthorne

His fellow broadcasters can’t believe it. In championship games, he’s seven for seven. Some Tiger fans even mute the sound on their televisions and crank his radio commentary for four solid quarters. And for a guy who started out calling play-by-play for Leesville High School Wampus Cats football games in 1961, Jim Hawthorne wears an awfully big ring.

Before graduating from Anacoco High in Southwest Louisiana, Hawthorne would visit his friend at the small radio station in Leesville, where they would listen to hours of Elvis records and talk sports. His radio career began in earnest a year later as he worked his way through college at Northwestern University. That led to a gig as disc jockey for KWKH in Shreveport, home of The Louisiana Hayride, where he played country tunes, met Loretta Lynn and called Centenary basketball games and Shreveport Steamer football games with future CNN host Larry King.

As LSU’s director of broadcasting, Hawthorne produces its sports programming—sometimes four events a day and multiple games simultaneously—plus calls play-by-play for Tiger baseball, basketball and football.

Which brings us back to that ring. It’s the same eye-commanding, golf ball-sized bling the players wear, the diamond-studded BCS National Championship reminder from last season. And even though Hawthorne never ran through the uprights, Coach Les Miles thought he deserved it.

Age: 64

Title: Director of Broadcasting, LSU Athletics

Hometown: Center, Texas

Four hours before kickoff, Hawthorne reports to campus. Two hours later his broadcast team goes to work. He’ll occasionally call out the wrong jersey number, which is forgivable given the volume of details he has to stay on top of. Everything from the advertising spots, breaks and station IDs, Jordy Hultberg’s wireless mic, and locker room set upsfor interviews is on his shoulders. “There’s a lot of pressure to make sure the broadcast stays on the air and everything gets done, but our guys have been together for 10 and 15 years doing this,” he says. “I don’t worry about it. The atmosphere is so special and the fans so kind, LSU is the best place to have your dream job come true.”

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