Former UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley has embarked on a new role in the sport, transitioning from player to broadcaster. Hundley made his debut as a television analyst for his alma mater's first home football game of the season on the Big Ten Network. The game featured the UCLA Bruins against San Diego State at the Rose Bowl, Hundley's former home stadium.
"Excited for this, excited more so for UCLA," Hundley told the California Post prior to the game. "And I just get to be a small part of it."
Hundley, 33, has spent recent years in studio work and views broadcasting as a way to remain involved with football. "I still wanted to be around the game and talk about it and still use everything that I’ve gained in my years of playing football," he said. "And for me, it was an opportunity of a lifetime getting a call from the Big Ten and having the opportunity now to talk football."
Describing the preparation for broadcasting, Hundley compared it to readying for a game. "As a quarterback, you study the defense — you don’t care about the offense," he explained. "Now you gotta know the defense, the offense, the coaches, the stories behind them. It’s a good amount of prep work, but it’s more fun because you get to really know the stories behind the players."
Hundley worked alongside play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo. He acknowledged a potential for bias in his commentary, given his strong ties to UCLA. "One of the things that I’ve got pinged on already by the Big Ten is saying 'we' because I’m so used to [the concept of] UCLA and 'we,' so if you guys tune in today, I’ll probably be saying 'we.'"
Hundley remains a significant figure in UCLA's football history, holding the school's all-time records for single-season total offense and completions, both set in 2012. That same season, he played a key role in UCLA's victory over rival USC at the Rose Bowl, a memory he cites as his favorite as a player.