Skip To Main Content

Scoreboard

Arkansas State Athletics

Arkansas State University

Jerry Schaeffer

Jerry Schaeffer - Former Sports Information Director

Jerry Schaeffer of Ormond Beach, Fla., became A-State sports information director in 1974 and served for 20 years. He was an assistant athletic director for 18 of those years.

He resigned from the university in 1994 to enter ministry work and join what is now Riverbend Community Church in Ormond Beach, Fla. Today he is pastor of communications, membership and senior adults at Riverbend Community Church after previously serving as pastor of education, pastor of evangelism and pastor of ministries.

In addition to leading the SID Office, Schaffer spent several years as radio color analyst for A-State football and basketball games. At various times he also handled football scheduling, game managements, negotiation of radio and television contracts. He managed media relations for A-State athletics highlights including the opening of Indian Stadium (now Centennial Bank Stadium) in 1974, the 1975 football team that went 11-0, the football team’s appearances in the NCAA I-AA national playoffs during the ‘80s and the 1987 NIT basketball game between A-State and Arkansas.

Schaeffer acknowledges the Sports Information Office staff he had during his time, including “loyal and tireless” honoree Gina Bowman, “unpaid full-time assistant” volunteer Phareta Calkin and some 70 student assistants through the years who received partial scholarships to support the office. He routinely recruited university journalism and public relations students to work as assistants.

I am excited about the new opportunity that has been afforded my family and me, but I am also saddened about leaving a place where I have invested 20 years of my life. ASU will always have a double meaning to me, as an alum and as a former employee. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
Jerry Schaeffer said of his resignation from Arkansas State
Jerry has been a tremendous asset to this department and university. His reputation for excellence, honesty and cordiality speaks to the kind of person he is. He is truly a professional by anyone’s definition.
Former A-State Director of Athletics Brad Hovious

Some highlights during his tenure include:
• A-State football media brochures won awards five times in national competition.
• He worked with architects to help design certain areas of the Convocation Center (now First National Bank Arena) and was part of the planning team for its 1987 grand opening.
• He helped Kay Woodiel develop the inaugural women’s athletics program at A-State in the 1970s.
• He successfully applied for the first licensing of the A-State athletics logos.
• At the request of legendary track coach Guy Kochel, Schaeffer served as interim track coach for a meet at the University of Arkansas where 3-4 athletes were entered. Two of the athletes set facility records at the time, prompting Kochel to jokingly offer him a coaching job.
• He worked at events like the U.S. Olympic Trials (once as an ABC-TV gofer for field events announcer O.J. Simpson), on the publicist team for the U.S. Junior Olympic Games in Baton Rouge and as statistician for ABC-TV at a couple of NFL exhibition games in Memphis.

A native of North Little Rock, Schaeffer had been sports news editor at the Arkansas Gazette for two years before joining A-State. He began his journalism career as a sportswriter for the Jonesboro Sun and later became sports editor. He was an intelligence officer in the Army from 1968-1970 and is a Vietnam veteran who was awarded a Bronze Star for his role in saving a base camp from being overrun by a North Vietnamese army battalion.

Jonesboro Sun Sports Editor Charles Cromwell in February 1983 wrote a “complaint” letter to Ray Thornton, president of A-State.

Mr. Schaeffer is so dependable, so reliable, so completely thorough that’s he’s making me lazy,” Cromwell wrote. “It has dawned on me the last few weeks just how much I have come to depend on him. Seriously, Jerry is like another employee for us. So many times we seem to come up short-handed or in some other bind, and Jerry is always ready, willing and extremely able to help out. There is no questions that his competence has helped ASU athletics receive much better coverage that it might have otherwise. … I just want to make sure somebody knows what a valuable asset Jerry Schaeffer is to Arkansas State University.
Charles Cromwell to ASU President Ray Thornton about Jerry Schaeffer

Schaeffer is a 1968 journalism graduate and received his master’s in mass communications in 1982, both at A-State. He was sports editor of The Herald and served as president of his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega.

He was chosen for the A-State Staff Centennial Wall of Honor in 2010 for his significant contributions to the university during its history. He was a member of the A-State All-Centennial Football Team Selection Committee in 2014.

He has stayed active in sports reporting in Florida, covering college and high school games for the Associated Press, Daytona Beach News-Journal and Orlando Sentinel.

Schaffer and his wife, Pat, have been married for 56 years and have two daughters, Amy Nielsen and Laura Johnsen. They have eight grandchildren: Hunter, Tanner, Carter and Ava Nielsen, and Jocelyn, Eliza, Natalie and Benji Johnsen.

Jerry Schaeffer-Charles Cromwell-Keith Merritt-log water ride
Press Box Wall of Fame Home
Red Wolves © 2026 Arkansas State University Athletics