I first saw Ernie on TV doing sports for KABB Fox 29 San Antonio, alongside Ed Suarez and Chuck Miketinac. I never even thought that I would end up working with all three of them as a high school football statistician. Ed was with the Texas Sports Radio Network, and Ernie and Chuck were with Thursday Night Lights. I was the statistician for Thursday Night Lights from 2009 to 2016, and for those first 4 years, Ernie was doing the play-play-play.
I still remember being super nervous at that first game in New Braunfels (I think that final score was like 69 to 6), and immediately, Ernie welcomed me and made feel like we have been together for a long time. I also remember him calling me in year five telling me he wouldn’t be doing the play-by-play anymore. Ernie is an absolute class act and I was proud to work with him for those years.
I also remember the TNL game after I got married, and Ernie wanted to see my ring!
Last May, when he stepped away from being a morning news anchor on Fox 29, I was going to publish another interview I did with him about being a celebrity dad! I scraped it as it wasn’t the best time to publish it. He even apologized to me and I was like, no worries, you did what you did and I hope it’s for the best.
We have kept in touch through social media since.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Victoria, Texas.
Did you always want to be on television?
I wanted to be a sportscaster since age 10. I was playing Little League and broke a finger on my throwing hand. Since I couldn’t play anymore, I turned to announcing games and I was hooked. I also loved listening to Astros game broadcasts on the radio as a kid and grew to love play-by-play.
How did you get the job at Fox 29 SA?
I graduated from college in 1998 and then sent out tapes and resumes to dozens of markets around the country, including San Antonio. I never dreamed that my first sports job would be at FOX 29, until I got the call from Chuck Miketinac in the spring of ’99.
What made you transition from sports to news?
I was a weekend sports anchor in Phoenix, AZ in 2005, when I got the call that FOX 29 was launching a brand new morning show. My wife and I were expecting our first child and were homesick. When I was offered the morning job, it was an easy decision to take it and come back to San Antonio.
How did you get the Thursday Night Lights (TNL) job?
The TNL job was offered to me when we launched the franchise on MY35, now CW35. I had never played or done high school football play-by-play and worked very hard to prepare for the games. I absolutely loved it and was able to be on the call for the first four seasons.
For the sports part, any memorable moments stand out?
Covering the first Spurs championship in 1999 was an early memory, along with the Cowboys. Later in my sports career, I was in Phoenix and covered all of the major pro sports, including the Phoenix Coyotes, who were then coached by The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. I was also at the Sean Elliott ‘Memorial Day Miracle’ game, the first ever Houston Texans game against the Cowboys, the final ever Astros game played at the Astrodome and the Cowboys game when Emmitt Smith broke the all-time rushing record.
For TNL, any memorable moments? Like the first game? Coaches, games and athletes.
The first ever game was a blowout in New Braunfels. I remember a punt being blocked and caught in the endzone for a touchdown. I also remember Malcolm Brown at Steele dominating before going to UT and the NFL, I was also on the call for a game winning field goal. I can’t remember the kicker’s name, but he did a cartwheel on the field when the kick went through the uprights. (I also had a great spotter, who made me sound like I knew what I was talking about!)
How did “Pickup Lines” get started? Do you have any sports minded people on your wishlist for this?
“Pickup Lines” started almost by accident in my car six years ago as I was waiting for my twins to get out of school in the parking lot of their elementary campus. I’ve always been a fan of Facebook Live, and people have been so generous and supportive of the show ever since. UTSA coach Jeff Traylor has certainly been a highlight guest for me and I do hope to have some Spurs players and other athletes and personalities on the show soon.
What does Ernie do for fun?
I like to hang out with my family, eat out and watch sports, and watch old shows and documentaries on TV. I also enjoy working on my content creation and developing other ideas and concepts that I have.