May 10, 2000
Former Terrapin standout Jonathan Claiborne will join the University of Maryland's football radio broadcast crew as color analyst, director of athletics Deborah A. Yow announced today.
Claiborne, who lettered from 1975-77 as a safety, will team with long-time play-by-play voice Johnny Holliday on the Maryland radio network. Holliday is beginning his 22nd year as voice of the Terps. Claiborne has spent the last three years and four overall as a color analyst on Towson Tiger football radio broadcasts.
The 44-year-old Claiborne is the son of former Terp head coach Jerry Claiborne, who was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame last December after a 28-year career as head coach at Virginia Tech, Maryland and Kentucky.
Originally a walk-on at Maryland in the mid-'70s, Jonathan Claiborne eventually worked his way into a first-string safety position and earned a scholarship. He was a two-year starter who played on three bowl teams. The Terps were 28-7-1 during his varsity playing career.
"We are pleased to announce that someone with close connections to the Terrapin football program will join our radio broadcast team," said Yow. "Jonathan is an individual with whom our many fans can identify. He will bring a unique perspective to the broadcasts, having not only attended the university but having worn the Terrapin uniform during one of the most successful periods in school history."
Said Claiborne, "I'm very excited about this opportunity. As a Maryland graduate and someone who played football for the Terps, I'm looking forward to being a part of the program on an up-close basis. It's particularly exciting to be in the booth working with someone like Johnny Holliday, who I have known for years."
Claiborne, who is now a practicing attorney in Baltimore for the firm Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, excelled on and off the field while playing with the Terrapins. He was a two-time All-ACC Academic selection and a 1977 CoSIDA Academic All-American. He also was the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in addition to earning a fellowship from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. Claiborne earned a double degree at Maryland (history and accounting) and posted a cumulative GPA of 3.57. He was a two-time winner of the George C. Cook Award (given to the Terp varsity football player with the highest grade point average) and also won the Talbot T. Speer Award for leadership, scholarship and athletic ability.
Maryland's Football Radio Network WBAL-AM Baltimore 1090 WTEM-AM Washington, D.C. 980 WTBO-AM Cumberland 1450 WSER-AM Elkton 1550 WFMD-AM Frederick 930 WARK-AM Hagerstown 1490 WMDM-AM Lexington Park 1690 WMSG-AM Oakland/Mnt. Lake Park 1050 WDMV-AM Pocomoke City 540 WTGM-AM Salisbury 960 WTTR-AM Westminster 1470
