www.CILiving.tv.
Tim: WELL, IF YOU
EXPERIENCED ILLINOIS SPORTS IN
ANYWAY, SHAPE OR FORM FROM THE
MID-80s TO THE MID-2000s, YOU
KNOW MY GUEST.
IN I CALL SHOTGUN, HIS NAME IS
JIM SHEPPARD.
WHILE HIS FACE MAY NOT BE
FAMILIAR, HIS VOICE IS.
WELCOME.
Guest: GOOD TO BE HERE.
FUN TO TALK TO THE CURRENT GUY.
THE GUY THAT HAS THE CRAZY
SCHEDULE BUT IT'S GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU.
THANKS FOR THE INVITATION.
Tim: ABSOLUTELY.
THIS WILL BE FUN.
READY TO GO FOR A RIDE?
Guest: LET'S DO IT.
Tim: LET'S DO IT.
I'LL TRY NOT TO HIT ANYTHING.
I'LL DO WHAT I CAN.
TELL ME, I KNOW SOME OF THE
STORY, BUT HOW DID YOU END UP
BEING THE PUBLIC ADDRESS VOICE
OF THE ILLINI?
WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS JUST
SOMETHING FUN TO DO AND SORT OF
A GOOD PART-TIME JOB?
OR WOULD YOU SAY IT CHANGED YOU
OR YOUR LIFE IN SOME WAY?
Guest: WELL, I THINK ANYBODY
THAT DOES A JOB LIKE THAT.
AND YOU CAN RELATE TO THIS,
BECAUSE YOU'RE IN IT NOW.
I THINK ANY TIME YOU'RE IN FRONT
OF THE PUBLIC, PEOPLE GET TO
KNOW YOU.
AND I DON'T THINK IT REALLY
CHANGED MY LIFE.
I WAS VERY BLESSED WORKING WITH
A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE AT THE
UNIVERSITY.
MET A LOT OF COACHES.
AND PLAYERS THAT I STILL KEEP IN
TOUCH WITH.
MY SON BRIAN SCOTT, WAS ON THE
TEAM IN '99.
THAT WAS A GREAT THRILL.
THERE'S ONLY ONE POSITION LIKE
THAT.
THERE'S ONLY ONE P.A. ANNOUNCER.
Tim: RIGHT.
Guest: I WAS FORTUNATE TO DO
BOTH ILLINI FOOTBALL AND
BASKETBALL.
AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT RIDE.
JUST A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES.
YOU MISSED THE GAMES.
BUT YOU ROUTINE AND THE
CAMARADERIE WITH YOUR FELLOW
MEDIA FRIENDS.
AND THE ROUTINE OF GOING TO A
GAME IS REALLY WHAT I MISS THE
MOST AFTER I WAS DONE.
Tim: SO WHERE DO PEOPLE FIND
YOU NOW?
DO YOU FIND IF YOU'RE TALKING
SOMEWHERE, SOMEONE'S EARS PERK
UP AND GOES WAIT A MINUTE?
Guest: YEAH, IT HAPPENS
OCCASIONALLY.
I'VE BEEN OUT IN PUBLIC AND I
MEET SOMEBODY.
AND THEY RECOGNIZE MY VOICE.
I THINK ONE OF THE STRANGER
TIMES THAT HAPPENED IS YEARS
AGO, I WAS ON A PLANE FLIGHT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE I WAS
GOING.
AND IT WAS A COUPLE SITTING
BEHIND ME.
AND I WAS BY MYSELF.
AND THE LADY OF THE COUPLE
TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER AND
SHE SAID, ARE YOU JIM SHEPPARD?
AND I SAID, YES.
SHE SAID, WELL, MY HUSBAND AND I
ARE BIG ILLINOIS FANS, AND MY
HUSBAND WAS SITTING IN THE
WINDOW SEAT, AND HE WAS KIND OF
EMBARRASSED TO ASK ME THAT.
SO HE HAD HIS WIFE DO IT.
AND HE WAS AND CURLED UP, HIS
HEAD AGAINST THE WINDOW.
THAT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY.
[LAUGHTER]
Guest: I'M SURE IT'S
HAPPENED TO YOU.
YOUR VOICE BECOMES SYNONYMOUS
WITH THE TEAM OR A PARTICULAR
SHOW.
Tim: WHAT FILLS YOUR LIFE
NOW?
WHAT DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DOING
WITH YOUR TIME?
AND WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Guest: I STARTED A NEW
CAREER IN THE ENERGY BUSINESS.
I'M WORKING WITH A FRIEND OF
MINE IN TOWN.
WE ARE SELLING ENERGY, WHICH IS
KIND OF -- IT'S A FASCINATING
PROFESSION.
I ALSO AM VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND
HAVE BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH
THE ILLINOIS BASKETBALL COACHS'
ASSOCIATION.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING
TO RAISE MONEY AND COORDINATE
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BASKETBALL
MUSEUM.
I'M NOT AT LIBERTY AT THIS POINT
TO SAY WHERE THE MUSEUM COULD
BE.
BUT I'VE BEEN ON THAT BOARD OF
DIRECTORS FOR THE MUSEUM
COMMITTEE.
THAT OCCUPIES A LOT OF MY TIME.
I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN.
Tim: YOU HAVE GRANDCHILDREN.
Guest: I HAVE 5 GRAND SONS.
I'VE GOT MY FAB FOUR.
MICHIGAN HAD THEIRS; I'VE GOT
MINE.
TWO ARE IN COLORADO.
AND THE THREE LOCALLY ARE IN
TOLONO.
MY TWO OLDEST GRAND SONS ARE
STARTERS FOR THE UNITY TEAM.
PROUD TO SAY MY ONE GRANDSON,
CADE, GOT SECOND IN THE STATE
LAST YEAR WRESTLING.
Tim: WOW.
Guest: WE'RE BIG SPORTS
FANS.
Tim: YOU STILL DO PUBLIC
ADDRESS, RIGHT?
Guest: I'VE DONE UNITY
FOOTBALL FOR 10 OR 11 YEARS NOW.
STILL ENJOY THAT.
I PLAN TO KEEP GOING IF MY VOICE
HOLDS OUT.
AND I STAY AROUND MY TWIN GRAND
SONS HAVE A YOUNGER BROTHER,
CHARLIE.
CHARLIE IS A FRESHMAN THIS YEAR.
HE IS'S FOOTBALL.
THEN, I CAN SAY I DID THEIR
DAD'S AND ALL 3 OF THEIR HIGH
SCHOOL CAREERS.
Tim: THAT'S SPECIAL.
WHEN MY FAMILY MOVED HERE IN '89
AND I WENT TO MY FIRST
BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL GAMES, I
DIDN'T REMEMBER WHO THEY PLAYED
OR THE SCORES.
BUT I REMEMBERED THE EXPERIENCE
OF IT ALL, THE BAND AND THE
CHEERLEADERS AND THE SMELL OF
THE HOT-DOGS AND YOUR VOICE.
Guest: THANK YOU.
Tim: WAS PART OF THAT
EXPERIENCE.
AND I NEVER -- SORRY.
I SHOULDN'T GET EMOTIONAL ABOUT
THAT.
BUT I NEVER WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT...
Guest: YOU WOULD HAVE HAD
THE CHANCE TO DO IT.
IT'S A GREAT, WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY.
AND I'VE JUST BEEN REALLY
BLESSED WHEN I WENT BACK OF NOT
ONLY MY TIME WITH THE UNIVERSITY
BUT DOING HIGH SCHOOL GAMES AND
JUST HAVE MET A LOT OF
TREMENDOUS PEOPLE.
AND IT BECOMES, AS YOU KNOW, IT
BECOMES PART OF YOU.
AND WHETHER IT'S A SATURDAY
GETTING READY FOR A GAME OR
TRAVELING, YOU DOING THE PACERS,
IT BECOMES PART OF YOU.
Tim: WELL, AS IT SHOULD BE.
AND YOU LEFT SOME REALLY BIG
SHOES TO FILL.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU'VE LEFT MANY
MEMORIES IN THE HEADS OF MANY
ILLINI FANS FOR YEARS AND YEARS
TO COME, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
YOU'RE NOT IN THE SEAT ANYMORE.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU RIDING
ALONG WITH ME.
WE'RE BACK AT THE STATION.
AND THIS HAS BEEN GREAT.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB DRIVING.
Tim: I DIDN'T GET US IN AN
ACCIDENT.
Guest: THAT'S THE BEST
THING.
Tim: THANK YOU, JIM!
Guest: THANKS FOR HAVING ME!