The college football world lost its most prominent voice on Friday night. Former ABC sports broadcaster Keith Jackson, who is considered the best play-by-play announcer in the history of the sport, died at the age of 89. The news was announced by Todd Harris, a former colleague of Jackson’s who currently works for NBC Sports.
The voice of college football and so much more has left us. My mentor and dear friend, Keith Jackson passed last night surrounded by his family. Truly one of the greats in the broadcasting industry. I am grateful for my time with a true legend. Thank you for the lessons KJ. pic.twitter.com/SPGIZXrZNA
— Todd Harris (@TheToddHarris) January 13, 2018
While he did play-by-play for a number of sports during his career spanning more than 50 years, Jackson is most well known for his work in the broadcast booth for college football games. Picking a single best call from Jackson is impossible — his smooth voice, an inherent love of college football, and the uncanny ability to pick his spots regarding providing analysis and letting the gravity of a moment speak for itself were a staple of Saturdays every fall.
Here is an attempt at singling out a handful of his best, highlighted by the most poetic ending a broadcasting career has ever had: Jackson calling Vince Young scampering into the end zone to win a national title for Texas at the 2006 Rose Bowl, giving the sport’s greatest announcer one last special moment in perhaps the greatest game that college football has ever seen.
We are saddened to hear of Keith Jackson's passing.
An absolute icon, he was the Voice of the Rose Bowl and so many #B1G moments.
His calls, including this one, will live on forever. pic.twitter.com/zbE01ZxSfn
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 13, 2018
Jackson’s impact on the sport is still felt to this day. Within college football, Jackson coined the phrase “The Granddaddy of Them All” to describe the Rose Bowl (the broadcast level in the stadium’s press area was named the Keith Jackson Broadcast Center in 2015), and he gave Michigan Stadium its commonly-used nickname “The Big House.” Additionally, Jackson is known for popularizing the phrase “Whoa, Nellie!”
In a statement, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said “For generations of fans, Keith Jackson was college football. When you heard his voice, you knew it was a big game. Keith was a true gentleman and memorable presence. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Turi Ann, and his family.”
