– Advertisement –
The life of a professional athlete is a grueling one. For all the training and preparation an athlete does to prepare for game day, immediate change is always a possibility. As the NFL wraps up its training camp and preseason preparing for another year of competition, rosters are extensively trimmed. Player movement is continually happening, trying to get the right people in place to execute the game plan on Sundays. A.Q. Shipley is no stranger to jumping in headfirst with a quick roster decision.
The 12-year NFL veteran, who played for five teams, knows the role of being prepared for when your number is called. Shipley received the call again earlier this month, when the Arizona Cardinals named him the new gameday analyst for the Cardinals Radio Network just over a week prior to the first preseason game.
“I’ve been in that mode before. You got to crash course it. You got to cram a bunch of information in your brain and be able to spit it out,” said Shipley. “My experience in the NFL having to do that at times obviously helped.”
Although Shipley has done work in media following his NFL career. The step up to the broadcast booth would be his first. He admits attempting to emulate the profession from his couch for many years. Shipley says he understands the importance the role of gameday analyst plays. It provides insight, knowledge, and the ability to convey that to the audience listening or watching. While a player working alongside those in the media, many believed Shipley had a future in the field in store post-career.
“There was a lot of people when I was getting interviewed in the locker room for my whole career that said you’d be good. You should go into that when you’re done,” explained Shipley.
Getting the Call To Follow a Legend
When the position became open with the Cardinals following the retirement of Ron Wolfley in February, Shipley says he never really considered applying for the position. He had been producing podcasts and making weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, but never anything aligned with an NFL team.
“It wasn’t even on my radar. Then a couple people reached out saying you should think about this,” said Shipley. “Then I felt let’s interview for this and see what happens. I reached out and the guys there were like we didn’t even know you were interested. But I told them I would love to.”
Following an interview and a mock broadcast or two, the decision was made by the organization to welcome Shipley to the team. He said he wasn’t nervous about taking on the role and following Wolfley, who spent twenty seasons in the booth for the Cardinals. Shipley understands the legacy that Wolfley built in the booth over two decades but is aiming to be only as he can: himself.
“Ron Wolfley is a legend. He’s a Hall of Fame type broadcaster. Don’t try and be them, just try and be yourself,” explained Shipley. “I’ve always been a type of personality where it’s you either like me, or you don’t. I don’t care either way. That’s kind of the approach I take with everything.”
Shipley is no stranger to Wolfley’s signature sound living in Arizona. He’s very familiar with the characteristics that made Wolfley one of the NFL’s most beloved analysts on the radio. While he’s not trying to emulate Wolfley, he has received plenty of feedback and coaching from the former broadcaster since accepting the position.
“I’ve talked to Ron [Wolfley] quite a bit. He’s been great. He still has the local radio show here and said some really nice words. He’s been very supportive,” noted Shipley. “Ron’s been very complimentary with open arms. Saying let me help you. Let me show you the way I prepared with some of the things I did.”
All Football, No Breaks
With his experience so far in the booth, there are some intricacies that Shipley is still working on understanding. Items like tempo, balancing analysis, timing, and different mechanics are still part of his education in the broadcast booth, as the preseason served as a perfect template to learn the craft.
With three preseason broadcasts under his belt, Shipley notes that being in the booth with Dave Pasch has been phenomenal for his growth into the role. He calls his play-by-play partner a “true pro,” balancing the role of calling games with the Cardinals while also doubling his duties calling national college football contests for ESPN.
A loaded schedule is something that Shipley embraces. Even with his new role with the Cardinals, he’s not slowing down any of his other plans for football season.
“I’ll be doing Wednesdays on the [Pat] McAfee Show, and doing the radio materials as well,” said Shipley. “It’s going to be a busy fall, but I like busy. I’ve always responded well and done better in the fall.”
Shipley plans, with his new role, it will allow him the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the Cardinals and the opponents on their schedule but also allow him time on Mondays and Tuesdays to dive into film for his appearances on The Pat McAfee Show.
“You can start with point A and end up at point Z very quickly, especially on The Pat McAfee Show. You never know where that is going to go, and that’s part of the beauty of it,” said Shipley of his Wednesday appearances on the program. “It makes you think quick on your feet. The same side of that is exactly what you must do when you’re calling games.”
Choosing Radio Over Television
The former NFL veteran is following in the footsteps of many of his contemporaries. Following a career in the NFL, many former players attempt to join the other side of the industry by entering the media sphere. For Shipley, he’s leaping into the radio broadcast booth instead of a route capitalizing off his television appearances on The Pat McAfee Show. While he makes his media debut on the radio, he understands why many former football players chase the light of the big screen first.
“We’ve been on TV our whole lives,” said Shipley. “That’s a big portion of it. We like the eyes; we like being in the spotlight. Also, we like to showcase that we do know the game on a deeper level than most. Obviously, that’s what allowed us to succeed playing at this level for as long as many of us have.”
Shipley referenced the grind of working in television versus working in radio as a factor into why he further considered the position with the Cardinals. With television requiring more time away from home for preparation and planning, versus radio where most weeks the prep for gameday can be done at home.
“There’s a positive to that especially with me. I got three kids under seven,” noted Shipley. “I travel for The Pat McAfee Show. For home games, I travel two days for Pat’s show then the rest of the week I’m able to go to my daughter’s soccer game. I think that’s an important thing.”
He noted that a future in television is by no means out of the cards, but he does envision continuing to call Arizona Cardinals football for a long time. Shipley is only experiencing the early beginnings of his first voyage into broadcasting, but he’s enjoying every step of the journey—one he never saw happening in the first place.
“You got to weigh what’s the most important thing,” explained Shipley. “When you do that, you’re on the road all football season four days a week. Is that the most important thing for me right now? Probably not. For right now, I love exactly where I’m at. I love exactly what I’m doing.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
John Mamola is the sports editor and columnist for Barrett Media. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. Honored to be a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Media and honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL). Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.