He's just 22 years old, but Jason Roberts, the newest addition to the World Wrestling Entertainment ring announcer team, has six years' experience in the business.

A native of Chicago, Roberts started ring announcing at small, independently promoted shows when he was 16. He has worked for the FX "Toughman Contest" team for the last two years.

He met many WWE performers and employees along the way, and sent videotapes of his work to the company. Someone must've been impressed: in June, he got a call telling him he could try out for the company at a few California events.

Last night on SmackDown!, he made his WWE television debut, filling in for Tony Chimel, who is on vacation. You can also hear Roberts this Saturday night on Velocity (10 p.m./9 CT on TNN).

"I've always been a big fan, to have the opportunity to try out was awesome," the University of Arizona graduate told WWE.com in a Thursday phone interview. "To actually get hired is beyond imaginable. I never thought I'd be working for this company. It's something I always wanted but never expected I'd actually get."

On Sunday, Roberts was in Billings, Mont., working with Howard Finkel. He sat next to "The Fink" at ringside as the man who has called every WrestleMania introduced the Superstars at the non-televised event and gave Roberts tips along the way.

"It was really cool because I've grown up watching Howard, and he's the man," Roberts said. "To get pointers from him is really cool."

On Monday, he shadowed Lilian Garcia during RAW. Then, during the day of the SmackDown! taping Tuesday, he got more advice from Finkel in preparation for his big debut.

Roberts said he wasn't nervous.

"I don't know if it's because I've been doing this for a while," he said. "I can do better speaking in front of 15,000 than in front of 15. What was on my mind was getting everything I memorized that day out there without messing up."

He added with a chuckle, "I had to go to the bathroom the whole show, so that was on my mind."

Roberts said he was so concerned with remembering everything that he wanted to say that he may not have displayed the confidence that he shows at independent and "Toughman" shows. "That'll come with practice," he said.

Roberts is the fourth ring announcer on WWE's roster. With Finkel and Garcia on the RAW crew, SmackDown! also now has two announcers. When Chimel returns from vacation, he'll presumably take back over the reins on SmackDown! "As of right now I'm just showing up whenever they want me to ring announce," Roberts said.

Roberts' real first name is Justin, but he jokes that people have been mistakenly calling him Jason his entire life. Now, he quips, "Maybe if I'm Jason, they'll call me Justin."