TAMPA, Fla. _ When Booger McFarland auditioned for the new Monday Night Football broadcast team, producer Jay Rothman was blown away.
"I closed my eyes and said, 'Holy (bleep), I feel like I'm listening to football's Charles Barkley," Rothman said.
Sir Charles is the round mound of sound and star of the TNT's Inside the NBA, winner of three Sports Emmy awards.
That's lavish praise for McFarland, who in four and a half years went from co-host of a Tampa Bay radio show on a now defunct FM station to part of the Monday Night Football legacy that includes Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, John Madden and Jon Gruden.
"I'm a small town kid from Winnsboro, La., who grew up not really being comfortable talking to people," said McFarland, a former Bucs defensive tackle who still lives in north Tampa.
"Had a small afro. Shy around girls. Middle child. And to look at the journey where I am now and to be a part of this entity, I'm not going to say it's the American dream, but in (a) way, it is."
On Monday, McFarland, 40, will join play-by-play man Joe Tessitore and analyst Jason Witten as part of ESPN's crew for the Bucs-Steelers game. His perspective, however, is unlike any other in sports broadcasting history.
McFarland is the show's first field analyst, moved up and down the sideline by the "Booger mobile," a cart with an outreached arm that supports two platforms. One is for McFarland, the other for a camera operator. Perched 10-feet off the ground, he has an elevated view of the line of scrimmage and sideline.
He also has all the equipment Tessitore and Witten have in the booth. When you listen to the broadcast, it sounds as if McFarland is sitting next to them.
"The conversation we're looking for is three guys discussing the game, going back and forth," he said.
McFarland already is receiving rave reviews. The Chicago Sun- Times headline after the Rams-Raiders opener said "Booger McFarland gives Monday Night Football the boost it needs."
Like Barkley, McFarland doesn't mince words. During the Bears-Seahawks game last week, he was asked about his former coach's decision to trade the NFL's best pass rusher to Chicago.
"Jon Gruden can talk about money and not having any left," McFarland said. "But Khalil Mack was first-team All Pro at two spots. I'm gonna make every effort I can to keep this guy on my team. I thought this was one of the worst trades in NFL history."
It's the kind of honesty and biting criticism that made Rothman lean forward in his seat during McFarland's audition.
"He may have had the best audition of the 12 guys we invited," Rothman said. "He was smart, informative, self-deprecating and funny. He had it down. His cadence was unbelievable. He was so enthusiastic and passionate, I was blown away."
It's McFarland's journey from Winnsboro to LSU All-American, from Bucs first-round pick to two-time Super Bowl champion, that makes his broadcasting rocket ride so compelling.
