A Connecticut guy, born and raised, Dan Orlovsky played his high school and college football in the state. Now, he calls it home again as an ESPN football analyst in Bristol. Orlovsky was always the football version of a “gym rat,” constantly killing time by working on his craft, right in his backyard.
“When I was younger, I would have garbage cans set up all around the yard,” Orlovsky recalled. “And I would have like 20 balls and just fire them into the cans. I really had nothing else to do back then,” he told the Connecticut Post in 2000.
Orlovsky attended Shelton High School and became the starting quarterback during his sophomore year. As a senior, he threw for 2,489 yards and 58 touchdowns as the Gaels went 12–0, winning a state championship. His overall record as a high school quarterback was 28–4.
He started as a freshman at UConn in 2001 after Keron Henry suffered a sprained knee. Orlovsky threw for 9 touchdowns, but was picked off 11 times. He started every game the next three seasons leading the Huskies to its inaugural bowl appearance as a senior. He holds school records for pass completions (916), yards passing (10,706) and touchdown passes (84).
Orlovsky was drafted by the Lions in the 5th round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He made his first NFL start 3 years later in October of 2008 in a loss against the Vikings. However, early in the first quarter when he lined up in shotgun formation, he accidentally ran out of the back of his own end zone for a safety. That turned out to be the difference in a 12-10 loss.
“When they started blowing the whistle, I was like, ‘Did we false start, or were they offsides or something?'” Orlovsky said after that game. “And I looked, and I was just like, ‘You’re an idiot'”. The game ended up being the closest the Lions would come to a victory in their historic 0-16 season.
Just last weekend, Gardner Minshew pulled an “Orlovsky”, inadvertently stepping out of his own end zone for a safety. Orlovsky felt somewhat vindicated and took to social media to proclaim such.
“First Jimmy. Now Gardner. I’m off the hook. I’m off the hook!” Orlovsky proudly said.
Orlovsky was referencing Jimmy Garoppolo, who made the same mistake a year ago. Many still feel that Orlovsky, being the O.G. will always be remembered for the play. He’s got a good sense of humor about it, one of the lines on his Twitter bio reads: “Endzones should be 11 yards.”
He also played for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to Detroit in 2015 for his final season.
AT ESPN
Orlovsky joined ESPN in 2018 after announcing his retirement from the NFL. He began appearing on NFL Live in 2019, and earned a more consistent, daily role in 2020. He’s also appeared on and contributed to, ESPN’s Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter.
During the college football season, Orlovsky was an analyst on a game broadcast each week. He also joined the #2 Monday Night Football booth alongside Louis Riddick and Steve Levy in 2022, when Brian Griese left. That booth has since changed, as has Orlovsky’s role at the network.
Chris Fowler has taken over the play-by-play role in that booth on MNF secondary broadcasts. The team will call 4 games (2 are already in the books) during this 2023 NFL season. This new role gives Orlovsky the best of all worlds, he’ll still get to call games, lend his expertise to studio shows and offer his opinions on those ‘panel shows’ on ESPN.
WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD?
His credentials as a former NFL quarterback who had some success in his career come shining through when he analyzes both offenses and defenses. You can tell that Orlovsky knows his stuff and is very passionate about this sport. When he appears on NFL Live or SportsCenter, his breakdown of film is very detailed, but not so highbrow that you can’t understand it as a viewer.
Orolovsky’s summation of what he is seeing is crisp and informative. I imagine that in his days on the field, coaches had a hard time getting him out of the video room, because his analysis is so detailed and organized in thought. That had to come from his years of really paying attention to studying his craft. Now it’s really paying off for him as a broadcaster.
In the booth, Orlovsky works well with Riddick, who I’m a big fan of. The two guys each have opinions, but there is a mutual respect between them, or at least that’s how it sounds in the MNF booth. While he doesn’t have as much time to make his point, Orlovsky is quite successful in conveying information and analysis. His unique perspective allows fans to really be taken inside the mind of an NFL quarterback. What the player should be seeing, where his progression should go and when it’s a good time for a check down. He doesn’t come across as know-it-all either. Orlovsky just relays from his experience and knowledge what the situation is and what should or shouldn’t have happened.
He has the ability to offer a hot take. In watching and reading about him, the take doesn’t come across as a personal attack, like some of the talking heads offer.
He did come out firing on a recent Get Up show, with some definite opinions on Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen after a rough start in Week 1. But notice, even though it seems like he walks it back, he really doesn’t. He’s just the voice of reason and keeps it about football and not the man.
“Number one, I love Josh Allen’s accountability after the game. He absolutely did the right thing and wore it. Number two, someone in that building, and we’re Thursday, so I’m assuming this has happened,” Orlovsky started. “Someone in that building has to have the courage to sit down, look him dead in the eyes, a grown man, and say, ‘we have to grow up.’ And that is not a belittling statement, that’s not picking on him, but there are times in games where Josh has to sit there and say, it’s no longer cool or fun or wow, look at me, run around and make all these crazy throws. Someone’s gonna have to have the courage to sit there and go, ‘Josh, we gotta grow up. You’re one of the best players in the league. You are unquestionably our best player. But when we get reckless with the football, we hurt our football team.’”
Then Orlovsky showed that voice of reason and keeps everything in perspective. “We got to take a chill pill as well. I’ve heard some things get said about Josh Allen over the past couple days that are absolutely ludicrous.” Orlovsky opined. “Josh Allen is a top three quarterback in the NFL. You absolutely can win a Super Bowl with Josh Allen. There’s no doubt about it that their window is as long as Josh is their quarterback, it is available. Stop saying that he’s oh my gosh gonna be the reason why they can’t get to the Super Bowl. He’s one of the best players in the game.”
Refreshing to hear an analyst with his feet firmly planted on the ground. I like Orlovsky’s style and substance. He’s an easy listen and you just might learn something along the way.
DID YOU KNOW?
Orlovsky used modern technology and a nudge from his wife to figure out what was next after retiring from the NFL in 2017.
As the story goes, Orlovsky was watching the Week 10 Panthers-Dolphins Sunday night game in 2018 and was explaining to his wife the X’s and O’s behind a Cam Newton touchdown pass.
“She said you should make a video and put it on social media,” Orlovsky told The New York Post in late 2018. “At this point I thought social media was stupid, I had maybe 1,000 followers on Twitter. Three minutes later, I came to my senses. I paused my television, used the camera in my phone and just broke the play down. I went to bed and it went viral [on Instagram], and that was my moment to be like, ‘Huh, that’s how I can separate myself.’ ”
The rest is history.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
