Jim Mueller, 79, of Cleveland, OH passed away unexpectedly on August 17, 2022.
After moving to Florida, Jim joined the Marines as a reservist and played college football at the University of Florida. He then took the next step to professional football, but a severe ankle injury suffered in the Baltimore Colts training camp ended his football career. Looking for the next adventure, Jim became a commercial airline pilot.
Returning to his passion for sports, he began a career in broadcasting. For two seasons he also did football play-by-play for the University of Miami and pre-season games for the NFL Miami Dolphins. During his two plus years in Miami, Jim filed numerous CBS network reports covering Golf, Auto Racing, and other events including the Joe Frazier-vs-George Foreman Heavyweight title bout in Jamaica for the CBS evening news.
Jim then moved to Cleveland, Ohio in July of 1974 as Sports Director for WJW-TV. After 9 years with TV8, Jim moved across town to WKYC-TV and spent the next 4 years as the Sports Director. In 1975, Jim was named color analyst for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network and remained with the team for 21 years until the franchise departed for Baltimore in 1995.
Away from broadcasting, Jim developed a passion for auto racing — going so far as to become a professional driver on the SCCA circuit. While racing, Jim became affiliated with the Roger Penske organization. That affiliation led to a new career as a track announcer for NASCAR and Indy car at multiple tracks across the nation including Michigan International Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Nazareth Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Rockingham Speedway, Cleveland Grand Prix, Auto Club Speedway of California, and Chicagoland Speedway.
Funeral Mass SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, St. Ladislas Church (2345 Bassett Rd. Westlake) at 11 A.M. Friends may call at CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOME of NORTH OLMSTED, 29150 LORAIN RD. AT STEARNS RD. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 5-8 P.M.
— Legacy —
See also: Former WKYC sports anchor, Cleveland Browns broadcaster Jim Mueller dies
