Bryn Renner brings the ‘color’ to game days

A portrait of Bryan Renner smiling at the camera wearing a Carolina hoodie and a pair of over the ear headphones with a mic attachment. — Former Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner is in his second year doing color commentary for football games on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "As a player, I had no idea how much work goes into doing a radio show," he said. "It's been so much fun to learn a new skill and try to improve every week." (@GoHeels/Miles McQuinn)

On a sunny November afternoon at Kenan Stadium a couple of hours before kickoff, Bryn Renner ’13 leans on the desk of the home team’s radio booth, perched high above the 50-yard-line.

“This view,” he says. “It just doesn’t get better than this. I still pinch myself every time.”

Bryn Renner as a Carolina student wearing his football uniform, high-fives students as they cheer him on during a game.

(Submitted photo)

Game day in Chapel Hill is different for Renner, starting quarterback for the Tar Heels from 2011 to 2013. He’s now in his second year providing color commentary for football games on the Tar Heel Sports Network alongside play-by-play announcer Jones Angell. While his vantage point has changed, one thing remains the same.

“I still get butterflies when I walk into the stadium,” he said. “The energy, the fans, the music playing — it still feels the same as when I would show up to play. I love that I still get to come and see some of the same people who were here when I played and talk about how great this place is.”

Getting behind the mic every Saturday has brought Renner’s football career full circle. A three-sport athlete in high school, the native of West Springfield, Virginia, committed to playing both football and baseball at Carolina. The four-star recruit eventually focused solely on the gridiron but spent his first two years on the bench.

“Honestly, it was one of the most humbling experiences, and it made me a better leader. It helped me mature,” Renner said. “These days, so many athletes come and go when things don’t go their way. But I stuck it out, and it paid off. It’s part of the journey and part of college sports. It’s what defines you.”

When he finally did play, he broke school records for passing accuracy and touchdowns in multiple seasons. After a season-ending shoulder injury his senior year, he bounced between a handful of NFL practice squads, including the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I got my Ph.D. at being a pro. I had the opportunity to be around and learn from great people, like Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger,” he said. “I soaked up every second.”

In 2017, inspired by his father’s 40-year football coaching career, Renner became director of recruiting and defensive backs coach at Florida International University. Renner and the FIU football staff were let go in 2021, after a losing season.

“For 30 years, my life had pretty much been all about football. I had never stepped away from the sport in my entire life,” he said. “For the first time, I had to step back and consider, ‘What do I really want to do?’”

Renner credits his time as a student-athlete and the Carolina community for helping him prepare for life after football.

“They say it’s a four-year commitment but a 40-year decision, and I think I’m living proof of that,” he said. “Football can take you places, but when real life comes at you, it’s about the relationships and the community you built while you were in school. And that means so much to me.”

Bryn Renner sits behind two monitors as he watches the Carolina football game providing commentary.

(@GoHeels/Miles McQuinn)

Tar Heel teammate Nick Wiler helped Renner transition to a job as account executive at software company KLDiscovery, focusing on sales and business development. Renner pulls double duty, working weekdays in Washington, D.C., and commuting to Carolina games on football weekends. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Carolina is one of the most incredible communities that you can be a part of,” Renner said. “Whenever you need them, they’re always there, and I try to do the same. I lean on that education every single day in my way of life.”