Brent Musburger wrote in his application to the Shattuck Military Academy, "I am not going to school for fun. I am going for an education, but I'd like to know about your athletic setup."
Shattuck-St. Mary's president Nick Stoneman reflected Tuesday on highlights from Musburger's file and retold memories of the esteemed alum. The famed TV sports broadcaster, who will call his final game Tuesday night on ESPN after nearly 50 years in the business, graduated from Shattuck, located in Fairbault, Minn., in 1957.
"That is probably a little foreshadowing," Stoneman said of Musburger's query about the school's athletics.
Musburger used to spend study hall "pretending to broadcast baseball games," former Shattuck athletic director Hudson "Hockey" Mealy often told others.
Musburger also refined his craft from the top of a utility shed next to the football and baseball fields.
"He would climb on top of that during football games and use a portable mic to do the color commentary and broadcast the games," Stoneman said. "He had it in his blood early on."
Since then, Musburger, 77, has remained a loyal alumnus. From 1982 to 1991, he was trustee. He returned to the campus in 1988 as a special guest for the dedication of the new outdoor track. In 1998, he was honored with the Joe McKee old Shads' Citation for Distinguished Career award.
Don Hitesman, Musburger's old high school roommate, said at the ceremony, "Brent participated in all areas of school life throughout his four years here. If he wasn't studying, he was playing sports, practicing for a school play, or working for the school paper."
Stoneman Tuesday also rattled off Musburger's many extra-curricular activities: football, track, newspaper staff, drama, yearbook staff and student council.
"[Life] is an adventure. It was an adventure to go to this school and it never stopped," Musburger said during his acceptance speech.
A Sports Illustrated article entitled "Not Just A Pretty Face" published in 1984, recounts how Musburger, who grew up in Billings, Mont., ended up at the Shattuck Military Academy. The article said "he hadn't yet learn to behave. When [Musburger] was 12 and Todd [his brother] was seven, the two brothers stole a car belonging to their mother's cleaning lady and took it for a 30-minute joy ride around the neighborhood."
Musburger and his friends also broke into a pound to free his dog and many others, and acted out a gangland "slaying" in front of a theatre.
"Not for one moment do I think I'm what's important," Musburger said in the 1984 article. "I'm the messenger. The games are what count. Without them there wouldn't be a Brent Musburger."
Musburger's final call Tuesday will be a men's college basketball game, Georgia at Kentucky from Rupp Arena at 8 p.m. on ESPN. His next act will be hosting a show for the new Vegas Stats & Information Network dedicated to sports gambling information. Brian Musburger, Brent's nephew, is the founder and chairman of VSiN.
