Uncle Verne may have broadcasted his last SEC on CBS game, but it’s clear he’s got a lot left in the tank.
The long time commentator was featured on CBS This Morning on Sunday in an emotional interview where he revealed his love of music and looked back at some of his most famous calls of his career. From Kick Six—Auburn’s last-second upset of Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl—or dozens of big calls covering the NCAA Tournament, Lundqvist has lent his voice to some of the sports world’s most amazing moments.
“The challenge is to be appropriate to the moment,” Lundquist said. “To not embellish the moment, to not overwhelm it.”
Much of the segment is about what Uncle Verne does outside of sports. His main passion is music, a love he shares with his wife, Nancy.
“On our first date we discovered that we had this mutual love of symphonic and classical music,” he said. “That was the first glue that held us together.”
Lundquist says music gives him “a soul, a depth” that has helped him through 17 years as the play-by-play man for the SEC on CBS. The 76-year-old left that post at the end of last season, embarking on an emotional farewell tour across the American south where Joe Namath and millions of others paid tribute.
“I had to swallow hard and pinch my inner thigh to keep from crying,” Lundquist said when asked about the outpouring of support over the last year.
The legendary broadcaster got equally emotional talking about the town of Steamboat Springs, Colo., where he and Nancy have made their home for the last 30 years. The two even help host the Strings Music Festival, where of course Lundquist serves as master of ceremonies. It’s there, he said, where he gets the most nervous when speaking to a crowd.
“I’m used to talking about Alabama and Auburn and we’ve got 20 million people watching and it doesn’t faze me,” he said on the stage of the festival’s venue. “And I walk out this door over here and I hard swallow and I think ‘Good lord get me through this.’”
Once the NCAA Tournament wraps up Verne will be off to Augusta National to call the 16th hole at the Masters. He may be done with football, but no one seems ready to say goodbye to Uncle Verne just yet.
