Jim Brandstatter

Brandstatter was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan, the home of Michigan State University. He was one of 5 boys.[4] His father Art Brandstatter, Sr. was named an All-American fullback for the Spartans football team in 1936.[4][5] His father went on to become a Detroit Police officer. He was Head of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice.[4] Later he was named Head of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. [5] Jim's older brother, Art Brandstatter, Jr., played defensive end for the Spartans from 1959 to 1961.[5] Despite the family's legacy at MSU, Jim Brandstatter opted to attend the school's in-state rival the University of Michigan (the teams play annually for the Paul Bunyan Trophy). When asked about his early life and family in a November 2007 Detroit Free Press interview, Brandstatter responded: "My brother Art played at Michigan State, and he was my hero. ... I went to all the games. I got to know all the players, the team. I was just a 10-year-old kid. That was great, but when I got into high school and was playing, Michigan recruited me and I fell in love with the place. ... So I went against the grain, went to Michigan and never regretted it."[5]

Jim Brandstatter

Brandstatter, center, in a game in 1971
Michigan Wolverines – No. 76
Position	Offensive tackle
Class	1972
Major	Speech-TV and radio
Career history
College	Michigan (1969–1971)
High school	East Lansing, Michigan
Personal information
Born:	East Lansing, Michigan
Career highlights and awards
All-Big Ten (1971)[6] Rose Bowl (1970, 1972)[6]

He was an offensive tackle on the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1969 to 1972 during Coach Bo Schembechler's first three seasons.[5] Brandstatter later noted one of his favorite memories as a player came in a 1971 victory against Michigan State. Brandstatter recalled, "That was as good as it gets." He added: "Bo (Schembechler) used to say and (offensive line coach) Jerry Hanlon might say, I may have played my best game ever as a collegian in that game." Hanlon said about Brandstatter: "He got so fired up, he took over every defender that came his way." He added "It was one of the best games a tackle played for me. That particular game, he was an All-American."[5]

Brandstatter made the All Big Ten team in 1971 and played in 2 Rose Bowls, during his time with Michigan (1970 and 1972).[6]

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1972, Brandstatter was hired as the sports director of WEYI-TV in the Flint / Tri-Cities area.[1] In 1975, Brandstatter was sports director at WILX-TV in the Lansing / Jackson area.[1] After two-and-a-half years, Brandstatter moved to Detroit and became a sports producer for WDIV.[1]

In 1980, while working at WDIV, Brandstatter became the host of Michigan Replay, a weekly half-hour discussion, interview, and highlights program about Michigan Wolverines football. It originally featured his former head coach Bo Schembechler (until 1989). It later included former head coaches Gary Moeller (1990–1994), Lloyd Carr (1995–2007). In 2008 the TV Show became "Inside Michigan Football with Coach Rich Rodriguez (2008–2010), and Brady Hoke (2011–2014). Inside Michigan Football continues with head coach Jim Harbaugh.[7] After 30 years, Brandstatter remains the original host and the show has grown from being seen only in Southeastern Michigan to available nationwide on cable and satellite.[8]

Brandstatter formerly hosted a weekly college football radio show, called Brandy and Bo with Coach Bo Schembechler. Brandy and Bo talked with coaches previewing upcoming games and discussed issues facing collegiate football.

Brandstatter can be heard calling play-by-play of his alma mater's football games on the Michigan Wolverines Football Radio Network, teaming with color analyst Dan Dierdorf, with studio analyst Jon Jansen and sideline reporter Doug Karsch.[9] From the mid-1980s through the 2013 season, Brandstatter was the color analyst on the Michigan radio broadcasts, while Frank Beckmann called play-by-play.[8]

From 1987 until July 2018, Brandstatter analyzed National Football League games on the Detroit Lions Radio Network, teaming with play-by-play man Dan Miller and sideline reporter Tony Ortiz.[10]

Brandstatter also hosts the syndicated weekly Inside Michigan Football TV Show highlighting players, game day highlights and comments by Coach Jim Harbaugh and other coaches and players, along with Doug Karsch and Ed Kengerski during the college football season.[7]

Brandstatter gives comments and observations about football on football-related radio programs, heard on Detroit area radio stations as well as radio stations across the country.

Besides football, Jim has broadcast golf on the Michigan Open Golf Championship radio and television network, and was an associate producer on the 'Ameritech Showdown', the Emmy Award winning telecast of the state's PGA Skins game tournament.[1]