A bad break in high school turned out to be perhaps the best break in the life of Bob Jamison, Jr.

During his sophomore year in high school, Jamison suffered a broken leg during the last day of two-a-day football practices.

While that injury for all intent ended Jamison’s athletic career on the gridiron, it directed him towards what eventually would be his adult profession.

Jamison spent the rest of that season spotting for broadcasts on WJBD Radio. It would be the first of many broadcasts in Jamison’s life.

After graduation from Salem Community High School in 1968, Jamison attended Millikin University in Decatur. Jamison helped organize the campus’ first radio station, which went on the air during his junior year in 1971.

That year Jamison served as the station’s first sports director. Jamison helped broadcast Millikin baseball, basketball and football games. He also helped broadcast baseball games for the Decatur Commodores, a Class A affiliation of the San Francisco Giants.

In 1972 Jamison broadcast additional Commodore games through a Decatur cable television company.

After graduation from Millikin, Jamison spent the 1974-75 school year at WRXX in Centralia where he assisted with Centralia Orphans broadcasts.

Jamison returned to minor league baseball broadcasts in 1975 for the Anderson (South Carolina) Rangers, a Class A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the Western Carolina League.

In 1976 he switched to the Peninsula Pilots, which is located in Newport News, Virginia. Peninsula was a Class A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Carolina League.

Jamison broadcasted games for the Utica Blue Jays, a Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays of the New York-Penn League, in 1977.

The 1978 season was a key one for Jamison, as he was promoted to Class AAA broadcasts for the Richmond Braves, an International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

After several years of moving from place to place, Jamison spent the next 11 years, 1979-90, in Nashville.

Jamison broadcasted for the Nashville Sounds, which was both a Class AA and a Class AAA affiliate for four different major league teams during that time.

Also during his Nashville days Jamison broadcasted women’s basketball for Vanderbilt University from 1982-83 and Vanderbilt University football and men’s basketball from 1985-89.

Jamison obtained the ultimate dream in 1991 when he reached the major leagues as part of the California Angels broadcasting team. Jamison spent two years with the Angels.

Jamison left the broadcasting booth after the 1992 season and began a change in occupations.

In 1994 he passed the certified public accountant (CPA) exam at the University of Illinois. Later that year he received a master’s degree in taxation.

Jamison currently serves as tax director for Federated Funeral Directors of America in Springfield.