A Nashville-based college football show lands some of the SEC’s most insightful media members every Saturday morning. What the guests don’t know is they’re talking to a 15-year-old broadcasting from his parents’ basement.
“He’s only 15? Are you serious?” said George Plaster, a longtime Nashville sports talk radio host and guest of the show. “That blows my mind!”
Billy Derrick, a sophomore at Father Ryan, along with 14-year-old buddy Charlie Sheridan, host a podcast each Saturday morning called “College Football Kickoff Show,” which tackles the sport’s hottest topics and previews the day’s biggest games. They land good guests, highlight in-state teams and even test the temperature of coaches’ hot seats.
But there’s a catch. Media members rarely know they’re talking to two teens who are broadcasting on an iPad given as an eighth-grade graduation present. Or that the show’s audio contends with preschool-aged siblings bouncing upstairs.
“I had no idea they were that young when I went on their show, but you know I never really asked,” said Jimmy Hyams, afternoon host on the popular Knoxville Sports Radio WNML. “Good for them. I give them a thumbs-up for having the gumption to do something like that.”
Billy starts each week emailing sports talk personalities and media members who cover the SEC to request an appearance on his show. It’s done professionally with a call-in number, show logo and preferred topic for the guest’s segment.
But Billy never actually mentions his age or the fact that much of the show’s prep work is done on a Five Star notebook similar to the one he uses for Algebra 2 class.
“I chose to do it that way because I want to treat it like I’m a professional, not just a kid,” said Billy, who also plays for the Father Ryan basketball and baseball teams. “I’m starting to think now that maybe I should tell them I’m 15, and I’m fine doing that. But I just want to do a professional show with good guests and good preparation.”
Billy, a lifelong Vanderbilt fan, began doing his show in his basement a year ago with no guests and no sidekick. Then this summer he had a brainstorm. Why not bring in Charlie, a Father Ryan freshman and Vols fan, as “our UT insider,” and then attempt to book guests the same as any other radio show or podcast?
Billy’s mother, Kim Derrick, had no idea how much the show had evolved until Plaster called her son’s cell phone after school one day.
“I was like, ‘Billy, how does George Plaster have your cell number?’ ” Kim recalls.
It just happened that Billy had booked Plaster for his 9:35 a.m. segment and needed to confirm the appearance before following him up with fellow guest Braden Gall, who covers college football for Athlon Sports, Bleacher Report and Sirius XM College Sports Nation.
“I had no idea he was getting real people, but that’s Billy,” Kim said. “He sees this as a big picture thing, not just something he does for fun. I know he didn’t mean to deceive anyone. He takes this seriously.”
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Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
