sports
Keeping His Eye
on the Ball
Bloomfield’s Kevin Burkhardt has made a name for himself at FOX Sports
WRITTEN BY ART STAPLETON
K
evin Burkhardt and
analyst Charles Davis
represent the No. 2
team for FOX behind
Joe Buck and Troy
Aikman. “Back in the
day, I was at the Passaic County
baseball tournament, calling [for-
mer coach] Gerry Homsany and
Manchester Regional against Passaic
County Tech, and it was the game of
the week,” Burkhardt recalls with a
laugh. “Now I’m hanging out on set
before the World Series with A-Rod,
Papi and Big Hurt, and calling some
of the biggest NFL games in the
playoffs — it’s really absurd.”
Burkhardt grew up in Bloomfield.
After graduating from William
Paterson University in 1997, he took
over as sports director at WGHT
Radio, a 1,000-watt, daytime-only
AM station in Pompton Lakes. He
helped turn the department there
into a varsity version of WFAN with
a team of fellow fledgling broadcast-
ers who enhanced high school sports
coverage in North Jersey.
Unable to break through at a larg-
er station after six years, a frustrated
Burkhardt left WGHT, put his broad-
casting dreams on hold and became a
car salesman for Pine Belt Chevrolet
in Eatontown.
He hoped the career change
would provide a spark following
a move from Woodland Park to
Point Pleasant Borough with his
40
SPRING 2019 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
wife, Rachel, and son,
wings and put his
Logan. For eight months,
personality on display.
Burkhardt sold cars and
By the time he landed
sent his tapes to radio
a gig with Compass
stations in New York and
Media Networks call-
elsewhere, believing that
ing the Dallas Cowboys’
his break would eventu-
games as the national
ally come.
voice of America’s Team,
When one did, things
Burkhardt’s star was
happened fast. He
rising. Previously, by
worked for CBS Radio
chance, general manager
ALL SMILES Above, Kevin
doing updates, moved to
Michelle Salvatore needed
Burkhardt; top, Burkhardt, Alex
WFAN as the station’s
someone to call the Texas
Rodriguez, Magic Johnson,
Jets reporter, and his
David Ortiz and Frank Thomas Bowl between Navy and
at the World Series last year.
biggest break came with
Missouri on Dec. 31.
SNY (SportsNet New
Admittedly, considering
York) during Mets games,
the holiday, she was a bit
which provided the ideal platform for
desperate to find a play-by-play who
Burkhardt to spread his broadcasting
could handle the assignment.
GRANT/GETTY
A JOURNEY FULL OF TWISTS
AND TURNS