On the Air
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
March 25, 2005

When Newtown resident Vaughn Hebron takes the microphone as game analyst for Saturday's Philadelphia Soul game on Comcast SportsNet, it will mark another step forward in his broadcasting career.

The former Eagles running back and kick returner is entering his fifth year as a member of the popular "Eagles Post Game Live."

"I knew I had to have a plan after football was over," said Hebron, an eight-year NFL veteran, who interned for television stations during his off-seasons.

A native of Baltimore, Hebron, 34, was recruited by college football factories such as Colorado and Miami (then coached by Jimmy Johnson), but chose Virginia Tech (not yet the power it is today) and graduated with a degree in broadcasting in 1992.

While Hebron was on the Eagles, he worked on "The Randall Cunningham Show," winning a local Emmy in 1995.

After two Super Bowl victories with the Denver Broncos and three knee operations, he retired at the age of 29. Throughout his playing days with the Broncos, he maintained a home in the area and founded the sports training facility, Transcend, in Wrightstown in 2000.

Hebron and his wife Kim are the parents of daughter Sa'loni, 5, twin sons Savion and Savaughn, 4, and 7-month-old daughter Sanaa.

Last hurrah?

The Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons will kick off what could be the final season of "Monday Night Football" on ABC on Sept. 12. This is the final year of ABC's contract with the NFL, and observers say it probably will move to ESPN next year. Wonder what that opening skit will be?

No days off

WIP 610-AM weekday afternoon host Howard Eskin is adding Saturday to his schedule. He will be on the air from 9-11 a.m. Besides the radio, Eskin appears on WCAU's "Sports Final" on Sunday at 11:30 p.m. Eskin is also interviewed in the special about Villanova's 1985 NCAA championship, "The Perfect Upset," on HBO at 9 p.m. Monday.

Did you hear this?

More than 1 million households tuned in last week to watch baseball players testify about steroids before Congress.

When players testified from 4-6 p.m. EST during the March 17 hearing, an average of 624,000 households were watching the hearing on Fox News, 526,000 on CNN and 166,000 on ESPN News, according to Nielsen Media Research.

C-Span, which also televised the hearing on one of its networks, said it does not get ratings.

Red Sox fever

Add the upcoming movie "Fever Pitch" with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore to the list of Boston Red Sox-related entertainment projects. A few of the players are getting a "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" makeover on Bravo in April. "Fever Pitch," directed by the Farrelley brothers, opens April 8.