Like many sports-crazed kids, Jon Heidtke often drifted to sleep during his formative years in the late 1960s and early ’70s while dreaming of becoming the next American athletic icon. Depending on the time of year, Heidtke’s head hit the pillow to visions of himself in the role of his heroes – men like Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Staubach and John Havlicek.

Unfortunately for Heidtke (pronounced Hide-Key), physical shortcomings put an end to his big-league dreams. In fact, Heidtke jokes that his own athletic skills may have more closely resembled "Spaz" than "Yaz."

"Sure, I wanted to be a star," said the well-spoken and quick-witted Heidtke. "But as a kid growing up, I often found myself closer to the end of the bench than the starting lineup. So, during games, I would inevitably start with the mock broadcasts, providing a little levity to my buddies occupying the same portion of pine as me. I guess that’s where the broadcasting bug first bit."

Heidtke, 43, never became the big-name, star athlete he once envisioned. But by nurturing the broadcasting bug that first materialized on the bench, he has become one of the most prominent and well-respected figures in the television sports industry.

Jon Heidtke's influence stretches far and wide in the sports world, shown here with Muhammad Ali.

Particularly in the Southwest region, Heidtke is recognized – and revered – as one of the most influential decision-makers in television sports. As a senior vice president, he has helped market and transform Fox Sports Net from a mere concept in the mid-1990s into a regional powerhouse and national leader in sports media.

He brokers deals with Big 12 executives, athletic directors and school officials. He has helped to create a Texas high school corporate partner program that is the envy of all other state associations, providing event marketing, television coverage of championship events and a weekly magazine TV show.

He is the point man for professional franchises such as the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Texas Rangers in television negotiations and contracts.

He oversees the news organization for Fox’s Southwest Sport Report; he has the ultimate authority over programming decisions; he has a major hand in the network’s affiliates sales and sponsorships; and he is the behind-the-scenes marketing machine of Fox Sports Net’s Dallas offices.

So, while he never became "Roger the Dodger," he certainly is one of the prominent movers and shakers in television sports. And, since TV is the wheel that drives the sports industry’s machine, Heidtke is truly one of the sports world’s power brokers.

"I call Jon ‘the ambassador,’" said Houston Astros chairman and CEO Drayton McLane. "Because of the many hats he wears and the many people – from the teams to the cable providers to the sponsors and advertisers – who he has to work with and appease. I’ve been in business 42 years, known thousands of leaders all over the world, and Jon is certainly one of my favorite people to work with. He has such a knack of dealing with people. He faces complex issues and has a unique way of working through those situations. He’s a credit to his profession."

"He is, unequivocally, one of the major players in the sports industry," said Terdema Ussery, president and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. "He is a forward-thinking innovator. We’ve had tough issues to confront over the five or six years I’ve worked with Jon, and it’s always been a pleasure to work with him. He’s one of my favorite guys."

That sentiment is shared by virtually everyone who works with Heidtke, who earned his journalism degree from Texas A&M in 1981. Heidtke bleeds maroon, is a member of the 12th Man Foundation’s Advisory Board, and he and his family are regulars at numerous Aggie events each year.

His A&M fans include administrators, coaches, school officials and even former players.

"I met Jon when I was at A&M, but I really didn’t realize what a big-time executive he was until I got to Dallas," Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen said. "He’s one of those guys who makes things happen, a guy who everyone respects and admires. And he is one of the more influential Aggies I’ve met."

While Heidtke makes no attempt to hide his passion for A&M, even the "orangebloods" have nothing but praises for him. Texas athletic director Deloss Dodds, for example, affectionately refers to Jon and his wife, Sandy, as his "two favorite Aggies."

The Heidtke family: Jon, wife Sandy, and children Heath (top left), Hunter and Hannah.

"I don’t know another person in that business who has the impact he does among athletic directors in a conference," Dodds said. "He has been a part of the Fox network for a long time, even when it was under different names. He’s grown with it and grown it. He’s been a great partner for us in the Big 12, and when Jon says something, that’s the way it’s going to be. There’s no fast talk, just straight talk. He’s been wonderful to work with. He is first class in every sense, and he is at the top of his profession.

"It doesn’t even bother me that he went to that other school," Dodds said jokingly.

Ironically, Heidtke, who grew up in Amarillo and now lives in Coppell, says he once believed he was destined to major in broadcast journalism at Texas. He had visited the Austin campus, made preliminary arrangements and appeared to be set to enroll at UT.

But some of his friends were planning on making a visit to Texas A&M, and they encouraged Heidtke to come along for the ride. It turned out to be a trip that changed his life.

"Texas was fine, but I felt like I had been treated like a number on my visit," Heidtke said. "But I remember going to A&M and receiving a personalized tour of the campus and being blown away by how friendly everyone was. By the end of the trip, I was at the registrar’s office signing up.

"Looking back, I thank God I went on that trip. I may have enjoyed Texas, but I loved Texas A&M."

It wasn’t just A&M that he fell in love with during his time in College Station. At one point or another during his collegiate career, Heidtke worked for the A&M sports information department, The Battalion, The Bryan-College Station Eagle and KBTX-TV, the local CBS affiliate.

It was at Channel 3 – on his first day of the job – where Heidtke met his future bride. He knew immediately the former Sandy Melton was the right woman for him. After all, she knew her Aggie football.

"I was working for Channel 3 in June of 1981 when the station hired a new weekend sports anchor by the name of Jon Heidtke," said the personable and engaging Sandy Heidtke. "His first day of work, I walked through the newsroom to get something, and he was pitching a story idea to the news editor about Mark Dennard. The news director said, ‘Who is Mark Dennard?’ As I was passing through, I turned and said, ‘He was an All-SWC center for the Aggies a few years ago.’ And Jon looked up, our eyes met and he said, ‘Wow. That’s right.’ Twenty years later, we have three children."

Three children and probably 300 entertaining stories about how sports have impacted the couple’s lives together. For example, they were engaged when Heidtke was in graduate school at Ohio University and married in the summer of 1983.

At the time, Heidtke was doing an internship as the play-by-play voice of the Beaumont Golden Gators, a AA baseball team in the Texas League. The team gave Heidtke a couple days off for his wedding, and he and his bride hopped a flight with 20 minor league baseball players for that dreamy honeymoon destination known as El Paso.

"I still remember how the newspaper described how so-and-so honeymooned in the Bahamas or the Caribbean," Sandy Heidtke said. "Well, for us it read, Sandy Melton and Jon Heidtke were married and honeymooned in El Paso. The El Paso Diablos had a four-day homestand against the Golden Gators, and we spent that time on our honeymoon."

From there, Heidtke went to work for SportsTime in St. Louis, which was basically the same concept as Fox Sports Net in terms of being a regional, cable network. Then it was on to Chicago, where he worked for SportsVision and then on to ESPN. In 1989, the Heidtkes moved back to Texas when he began working for Home Sports Entertainment, the predecessor in Dallas to Fox Sports Net.

Heidtke quickly made his mark at HSE, where he was promoted from assistant general manager to general manager. HSE was then purchased by Prime, and in 1996, Fox bought Prime.

Through all the corporate name changes, however, Heidtke remained as the constant contact for teams and executives in this region. And he is the man most responsible for the successful relationship pro and college teams in this region have formed with Fox Sports Net, say many of the executives associated with the teams.

"I’ve been with the San Antonio Spurs for quite some time, and Jon has pretty much been my direct contact in all matters between Fox Sports Net and the Spurs," said Lawrence Payne, senior vice president of broadcasting for the Spurs. "It’s a very important relationship between the regional sports network and the teams in the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. The reason we have bridged a successful working relationship in terms of the Spurs and Fox Sports Net, I would attribute to Jon’s efforts.

"In any form of business, it boils down to relationships. That’s certainly the case in our business. There will come times when we need something over and above the normal practice, and if you don’t trust the person you’re dealing with, it won’t happen. The key to any contract or agreement comes down to whether you trust the person on the other side. I feel totally comfortable working with Jon. I think he is very level-headed, very reasonable, and he has such integrity. Everybody likes the guy. He is very approachable, and I can’t emphasize the trust factor enough. He’s a guy you want to do business with."

Indeed, it is probably Heidtke’s people skills – even more than his marketing savvy and business acumen – that has made him so successful. If necessary, Heidtke can be hard-nosed in negotiation situations, but he can also broker a deal without stepping on toes.

More than anything, he is a bridge builder, and never a bridge burner.

"Our industry is really the epitome of a relationship business," said Bob Thompson, president of Fox Sport Networks. "There are a variety of companies – Disney/ESPN, NBC, Fox and so forth – that are capable of writing significant checks to earn broadcast rights. So, it comes down to the integrity you have, the relationships you have nurtured and the ability to work with people. In that capacity, Jon is one of the guys who I can really count on. He is the consummate professional and a tremendous attribute to Fox Sports Net."

Says Payne, who points out he has two degrees from Texas: "The best thing about sports, whether it’s at the collegiate or professional level, is that it is a business that creates passion. People care about it, they have strong feelings about it. At the same time, it is a business where you have to make rational decisions. I think that’s what makes Jon so successful. He is passionate about what he does and the games, but he also has the ability to make calm, rational decisions. Of course, I ultimately know where his heart is. I’ve seen him walking the sidelines of A&M games, and I know he bleeds maroon."

Indeed, Heidtke’s passion for A&M may take a backseat only to his wife’s, who, after leaving A&M early to follow her husband’s career path, commuted from Dallas to College Station for a year to finish her degree at A&M in 1992.

"I would drive to Dallas on Friday afternoon, and I would usually get up before dawn on Monday morning and drive back to College Station," Sandy Heidtke said. "I did that for a full year and graduated in December of 1992. I have never told an Aggie that story without them completely understanding. It’s the non-Aggies who think I was crazy for doing that, especially since I am now a stay-at-home mom. But it was all about the Aggie ring. It was all about getting that A&M degree."

The Heidtkes’ home in Coppell is a testament to the family’s Aggie passions. The décor is part Southern Living, part Aggie Bookstore. And the home office, with its numerous autographed balls and memorabilia, is a sports collector’s dream.

Heidtke has worked/covered Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals, Kentucky Derbys, U.S. Opens, national championship games, conference tournaments, etc. He’s worked with teams and sports marketing executives from coast to coast. And he has probably made more contacts than Bausch & Lomb.

But of all the stadiums he’s seen and crowds he’s observed, Heidtke says nothing comes close to the magic of Aggieland. And he has certainly done his part to make Texas A&M the best it can be – both in terms of his own financial contributions and his professional efforts.

It was Heidtke, after all, who played a major role in helping A&M land the state’s 7-on-7 football tournament championships five years ago. Ever since, 64 of the top high school teams in Texas have converged on College Station each summer to determine a champion in the high-scoring, pass-happy tournament. Fox also televises the event.

The exposure A&M has received is priceless. Not only is it broadcast statewide, but potential prospects who might not otherwise visit Texas A&M are now receiving an up-close view of Aggieland.

The tournament has been good for high school football in the Lone Star State and great for Texas A&M.

"He’s a guy who is very respected in all media circles and, really, in all of college athletics and the pro teams he works with," A&M head coach R.C. Slocum said of Heidtke. "Everybody knows and respects him. He’s a class guy. And he is very clearly an A&M supporter. He and his wife and his kids have been very much involved in following and supporting A&M athletics. We are awfully pleased that he is an Aggie through and through."

He is undoubtedly an Aggie, but he also has been a tremendous friend to all of the region’s sports teams and conferences. In fact, Big 12 Conference commissioner Kevin Weiberg calls Heidtke one of the conference’s best friends.

"Jon is a devoted Big 12 guy," Weiberg said. "He has a lot of hats to wear with Fox Sports. But I know he cares a great deal about the Big 12, and he has been a very good guy to work with. Jon is a very bright, engaging guy, and he obviously has a great deal of knowledge about the television industry. It’s great to have someone who is an ally of the Big 12 in a position like that.

"He’s very responsive whenever we need him, and I think he is a person we can turn to and count on from time to time just with some general advice about the television industry, even if it is not necessarily related to Fox. We really appreciate his insights."

So does McLane, who calls Heidtke as much of a friend as a business partner. And, while the Astros’ top executive says he hopes to continue working with Heidtke in the same capacity for years to come, McLane also points out that Heidtke would be a success in any aspect of the sports industry.

"He understands all aspects of sports," McLane said. "If he chose, I could easily see him running a sports team as the general manager or president just as successfully as he is operating now at Fox. He understands that running a sports team is about customer service and pleasing the fans. He also understands how revenue is generated, the marketing, the sponsorships, the investments and the entertainment value. And most of all he understands people. He knows how to manage people, how to entertain them and how to get the most out of the people who work for him. He has all the tools."

Those words, of course, are a dream come true for Heidtke. He may not have had Yastrzemski’s sweet swing, but he is at the top of his game, drawing rave reviews from major league owners, NBA presidents and college coaches. Just like he once envisioned.