Jason Shackelford shackelford@kjrh.com
In a galaxy long, long ago, in a hospital not so far away I was hatched some say. Actually, I was born in Tulsa and spent the first 19 years of my life here.
I grew up in Owasso and played football, basketball, and baseball. I can't say that I really excelled at any of the three but because of my participation in sports I found my niche in broadcasting.
In baseball I was a pitcher and since I only pitched twice in my career I spent a lot of time in the press box charting pitches, keeping score and announcing the game.
Several of my teammates told me I should do broadcasting for a living and I thought, "Sure, get paid to cover games...sign me up." I turned down some opportunities to play college football to pursue my new goal of sports broadcasting in Tulsa. That dream has come true.
I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in broadcasting. While in college I spent most of my time trying to be the best sports broadcaster I could be and I would work almost any place that would let me in the door.
In the summer I worked at KJRH as an editor and photographer. My first professional reporting job was at KFOR in OKC. From there I took an anchor job in Topeka Kansas, and in March of 2000 I landed the job here.
People ask me all the time what my job is like. But to me this is not a job, it's a hobby! When I am not working I like to play the guitar, ride my motorcycle, and do almost anything outside especially water or snow skiing.
My parents still live in Owasso, they are the best. I am a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, Harry Caray was my idol and I do a pretty mean impression of Harry. Following OSU to the college basketball "Elite 8" has to be the highlight of my career thus far, but every day is something new, and for that I am blessed.