Brodie Leaves NBC and Announcing Behind, Resumes ‘Old Career’ in Professional Golf

DANVILLE, Calif. — It defies the sports norm. An ex-jock leaving television to go back to playing sports.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie has decided to quit as NBC television and golf announcer to take up a career as a professional golfer.

“I’ve covered my last golf tournament,” Brodie told the San Jose Mercury News.

The former Stanford quarterback tried the PGA tour as a pro for two winter seasons in the late 1950s.

He will become eligible for the PGA Senior tour when he turns 50 on Aug. 14.

“I’ve had 12 great years with NBC,” Brodie said. “When they learned I was thinking of trying the pro tour, we sat down and discussed it. NBC said, ‘We can’t pay a guy $300,000 to $500,000 a year to be part time.’ I said, ‘That’s why I want to discuss it.’ ”

Brodie, who spent the majority of his NBC time announcing football before switching to golf, decided he “wanted to play golf--full time.”

Brodie said that he learned then that one can’t do well in golf as a part-timer.

“When you become 50 and love to play golf, then that’s the thing to do,” he said.

Brodie will play in his first tour event in late August in the Shootout at Jeremy Ranch in Salt Lake City. He was supposed to be the partner of Peter Jacobsen, but Jacobsen had to withdraw. His partner will be announced later this week.