Todd Blackledge, who returned to ESPN in 2006, is an analyst for many of the network’s college football events, including College Football Primetime.
A standout quarterback at Penn State, Blackledge started for the Nittany Lions from 1981 to 1983, going 31-5 through three seasons. After leading Penn State to the national championship in 1982, Blackledge won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s most outstanding quarterback and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
In the 1983 NFL Draft, Kansas City selected Blackledge seventh overall. He played for the Chiefs for five seasons before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1988. He announced his retirement in 1989.
Blackledge began his broadcasting career as a sports-talk radio host in Ohio, also doing analysis for the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason, the Big East Network and for ESPN. He also worked on the Emmy Award-winning Penn State Football Story.
In 1994, he joined ABC Sports as a college football analyst. He was named CBS’ lead analyst in 1999. In 2006, he joined play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick and sideline reporter Holly Rowe for ESPN’s Saturday prime-time college football series. He has been featured during Saturday college football games since 2007 in the popular Todd’s Taste of the Town segment during which he visits a local restaurant near the site of the game and discusses the culinary appeal of the establishment and more. He also is a regular contributor to College GameDay, SportsCenter, and ESPN Radio.
In 2009, Blackledge was honored with Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of Penn State’s Board of Visitors for Penn State’s Center for Sports Journalism.
Blackledge resides in Canton, Ohio and coaches high school basketball in the offseason.
Todd Blackledge, College Football analyst, is available through IMG Speakers bureau for speaking engagements. Todd Blackledge, is also available for corporate hospitality events, meet and greets, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Todd Blackledge.
