Former Ohio State wide receiver and Jon Gruden’s favorite fifth receiver, Dane Sanzenbacher (say it with me, SAN-ZEN-BACH-ER) looks to be finished with his professional playing days. The receiver spent time with the Bears and Bengals in the NFL, but at just 27 he’s moving on to his next career. It’s a path that is at the same time fairly common, but also very unique amongst former pro football players.
Sanzenbacher is going into media.
Sanzenbacher hasn’t been hired by ESPN or Fox or NBC as the 798th former player to come on and provide analysis for a national network. He’s not even going into local radio where so many more ex-athletes have gone. Sanzenbacher’s former teammate Beanie Wells who now works at the ESPN Columbus affiliate after injuries derailed his NFL career.
No, Sanzenbacher is going into local television, joining Toledo’s WTOL as a sports reporter. From the Toledo Blade:
“He’s an exciting addition to our team,” said Anthony Knopps, WTOL news director. “He brings a perspective that we really don’t have, a former college and professional athlete from our area. It’s unusual that we have a homegrown athlete that’s made it to the professional level and wants to come back here and make a difference in the community.
“What I like is he’s willing to do whatever it takes to put the best story on the air. He has several exciting ideas on how to look at the impact of sports on families.”
For his first WTOL news story Sanzenbacher interviewed Jim Tressel, his former coach while at OSU, and is working on long-form stories that will air in the coming weeks, Knopps said.
“[Sanzenbacher] was brought on to do more than just football,” he added. “He has a unique skill set that will serve not just our sports department but our entire news department as well.”
Once upon a time, ex-athletes weren’t just pigeonholed into the “former player who has strong opinions” role that they’re destined to today. One of the great play by play men of all-time was Pat Summerall, who first made his name with the New York Giants. So it’s cool to see former players go beyond that and pursue wider careers in media.
If Sanzenbacher’s first interview is with Jim Tressel, his second one has to be with Gruden, right? It’d just be Gruden excitedly shouting his own name at him over and over again. If that isn’t must-see local news, I don’t know what would be.
