Former University of Georgia quarterback D.J .Shockley will become Fox 5 Atlanta’s sports anchor, replacing Ken Rodriguez.
Shockley starts Monday. Rodriguez retired June 23 after nearly 30 years at WAGA-TV, which was a CBS affiliate until the mid-1990s and is now a Fox affiliate.
“I’m really excited to show people a new side of D.J. Shockley, ” Shockley said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Shockley has also signed on to succeed Chuck Dowdle in the UGA football ambassador role that includes being the sideline reporter for Georgia Bulldogs radio broadcasts and hosting coaches’ shows and other events.
An Atlanta native, 38-year-old Shockley was a star quarterback for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, leading them to an SEC championship in 2005. He was a backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons for a time but did not get any playing time. He also spent a brief time with the Omaha Nighthawks of the short-lived UFL.
He has spent the past decade doing football analysis for different companies including Raycom, Big Ten Network and the Atlanta Falcons. He has worked with ESPN the past few years on their SEC Network and ACC Network. He has also hosted a weekly Falcons pre-show on Fox 5 called “Early Birds.”
“Everything I’ve done has culminated to this point,” Shockley said. “I’m looking forward to adapting to this new role and make it my own. I pride myself on being able to think fast on my feet. I want to show my down-to-earth personality and my genuineness.”
He has been active on social media where he has 13,000 followers on Instagram and 22,000 followers on Twitter. “I’ve always been open on social media and I can add my own flavor and build the Fox 5 brand,” he said.
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