The NFL preseason isn’t just an opportunity for the rookies to impress on the field. It’s also a chance for the rookies to make their mark in the broadcast booth.

In the latest edition of My First Job, a look at people’s initial forays in the media business, ESPN’s Mike Golic discusses calling his first NFL preseason game shortly after retiring as a player. He describes a harrowing moment during the opening kickoff when he thought his broadcast career might be over.

Here’s Mike:

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I did color for the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason games in 1995. It was the first real gig I had going.

I had done some college football previously, but this was the NFL. This was really nerve-racking to me.

I was unbelievably nervous. I would have rather been on the field. My comfort level was on the field. But now I was describing the action, and I had to do it in a time frame to give it back to (the play-by-play man).

Kevin Harlan was the play-by-play man. He was a real pro. They kick the ball off, and Kevin went through the call and then left it open for me. I froze. Maybe I said three words.

I was like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, I’m blowing it.’ It was just amazing to me.

I don’t know why I was so nervous because I had done college football before that and it was no big deal. But I had just gotten out of the NFL, and this was big. I’m thinking, maybe I’ll do NFL games down the road.

It was so embarrassing. When it finally went back to Kevin, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god, what the hell was that?’

I had to calm myself. I remember saying to myself, ‘Just talk football, just talk football.’ That’s kind of what I did from then on. I got into the groove.

Still, when the game was over, I remember thinking the guy who hired me must be saying, ‘Oh my, did I make a mistake here?’

The next time I was that nervous was when Greeny (Mike Greenberg) and I did a Monday night game a few years ago. Now this was Monday Night Football. I didn’t freeze like that, because Greeny was more nervous than me. He had never done an NFL game.