Jerry Punch
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Jerry Punch, M.D. (born August 20, 1953) is an American auto racing and college football commentator on ESPN. Punch also does local radio spots in Knoxville.
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[edit] Early life and career
Jerry began his broadcasting career in Newton, NC, when he was selected to join the local High School Radio Staff of Newton-Conover High School. The local radio station, WNNC in Newton, NC, provided free air time to the local high school broadcasting organization with rotational assignments to the aspriing broadcast journalists. Students at the high school auditioned for the much sought after staff positions. Jerry was successful and was selected by fellow students to become a new reporter and, thus, he was permitted to participate in the weekly Saturday morning live broadcasts on WNNC.
He served as backup quarterback for coach Lou Holtz at NC State and graduated magna cum laude in 1975. He received a M.D. degree from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
[edit] Career as a pit reporter for ESPN
Punch worked as an emergency room physician before moving to ESPN in 1984 as a pit reporter for NASCAR races. In 1988, in two separate incidents, he helped with the rescue efforts after the serious wrecks of Rusty Wallace and Don Marmor. In the case of Rusty Wallace's front-stretch crash at Bristol Motor Speedway, Punch happened to be on Pit Road at the time, and as a result, was the first person on the scene before the rescue crew could be scrambled. Punch's medical training proved pivotal, as Wallace was initially unconscious following this practice-session crash. Punch revived Wallace, who was able to start the following night's race with only minor injuries, driving for about half the race before giving his seat up to a relief driver.
Punch is also credited with helping to save Ernie Irvan following a practice crash at Michigan International Speedway in August 1994. Punch also had aided injured pit crew members on pit road in several races in the 1990s.
While Punch was addressing a Nashville Superspeedway media luncheon he was interrupted by a loud crash from the back of the room. Punch immediately rushed from the podium to the back of the room where Jenny Gill(daughter of singer/musician, Vince Gill), a Nashville Superspeedway intern, had fainted. Punch helped revive the Middle Tennessee State graduate student. She was taken to a local care center for observation and soon recovered, according to Sean Dozier, the superspeedway's public relations director. Punch returned to the podium and resumed his speech.
[edit] Other assignments for ESPN
Punch also has been ESPN's expert for discussion of medical issues, has called play-by-play for college basketball, and has served as a sideline reporter for college football.
On October 12, 2006, he was named the lead lap-by-lap commentator for ESPN's coverage of the NEXTEL Cup Series and the Nationwide Series starting in 2007 along with Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree.
