Jayne Kennedy, right, talks about her career with Jemele Hill at the California African American Museum Oct. 16. Kennedy is on a book tour promoting her memoir, ‘Plain Jayne.’
Photo by Ren’a Matthews
By Shirley Hawkins
Contributing Writer
EXPOSITION PARK — In 1978, at the age of 26, Jayne Kennedy became the first Black woman to serve as a sportscaster on a national broadcast when she joined the cast of “The NFL Today” on CBS.
Almost 50 years later, she is finally telling her story in the new memoir “Plain Jayne.”
On Oct. 16, Kennedy appeared at the California African American Museum to talk about her career and the new book, joined by sportswriter Jemele Hill, someone who admittedly is following in Kennedy’s footsteps.
Much of Kennedy’s story is well known.
At 19, she captured the crown of Miss Ohio USA and she was later featured on the cover of Jet Magazine.
Married to disc jockey and aspiring actor Leon Isaac Kennedy at the time, the couple traveled to Hollywood to pursue their dreams of acting.
Jayne quickly found work on numerous television shows, including “The Dean Martin Show,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “Sanford and Son” and “Starsky and Hutch.”
Then Kennedy heard that CBS was searching for a female sportscaster to join the live show “The NFL Today.” A die-hard sports enthusiast, Kennedy decided to audition.
“There were 15 blond girls auditioning and I was the only Black one,” she said.
After the candidates auditioned, sportscaster Brent Musberger, who hosted the show, announced, “It’s Jayne or nobody.”
Despite winning the coveted spot, CBS only offered Kennedy a six-week contract. Her breakthrough came when she overheard that producers at the “CBS Sports Spectacular” show were desperately trying to land an interview with heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
“He’s fighting Leon Spinks. We have to get to New Orleans right away!” she heard one of the producers say. “So I turned around and answered, ‘I can get the interview.’”
Kennedy informed the producers that Ali was a personal friend.
“I don’t know why they believed me, but they put me on a private jet. I called Ali and I said could he grant me an interview and he answered ‘I’ll leave the key at the front desk. You meet me in my suite .’”
Kennedy got the interview.
“I was exhausted from the trip but the segment aired over that weekend. I got a call on Monday,” Kennedy said. “The
producers said, ‘Jayne, you’re hired for the remainder of the year.’ I was ecstatic. It was only my second week on the job.”
Kennedy lasted three seasons on “The NFL Today,” from 1978 to 1980. During her tenure, the show won an Emmy Award.
She also won an NAACP Image award in 1982 for outstanding actress in a motion picture for the movie “Body and Soul” and an Emmy for her work hosting the Rose Parade in 1982.
Despite her rising career, Jayne and Leon Isaac Kennedy ended up amicably divorcing.
Then her world suddenly came crashing down when someone broke into her home and stole jewelry and other personal items. Among the items stolen was an intimate tape featuring her and Leon. Someone sold the tape and it was released to the media.
“The tape drastically ruined my career and I went through a deep depression,” Kennedy said, adding that she was so scarred by the scandal that she withdrew from the public eye for 10 years.
“I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone, except for family,” she said, drawing strength from her four daughters and her husband of 40 years, producer Bill Overton.
In 2014, Leon Kennedy sued Ebony magazine and Johnson Publishing Company, claiming in their March 2013 “Scandal” issue that the magazine falsely identified him as the person who leaked the infamous 1970s sex tape of him and wife Jayne Kennedy.
“Even though the FBI investigated the case and could not find the burglar, we eventually found out that the burglar was a cousin of Leon’s,” Kennedy said. “He confessed he committed the crime while laying on his deathbed.”
Despite the scandal, people from all walks of life kept urging her to write her life story and Kennedy finally relented.
“I wrote the entire book in two years without talking about it,” she said. “Of all the chapters, writing about the tape was the most painful for me — that someone was so desperate that they wanted to destroy us.”
During her career, Kennedy has been honored with the National Sports Media Association’s Roone Arledge Award for Innovation. In 2018 she was inducted to the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Her pioneering influence has inspired many, from media mogul Oprah Winfrey and CBS Morning News anchor Gayle King, to ABC anchor Robin Roberts, TV talk show hosts Tamron Hall and Sherri Shepherd and scores of others.
At 73, Kennedy is stepping back into the spotlight.
“It’s time to take the baton back,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Shirley Hawkins is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at shirleyhawkins700@gmail.com.
