Gene Deckerhoff announces retirement from FSU broadcasting
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BVM) – There will be a huge void to fill in the broadcast booth as long-time Florida State University play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff has called his final game for FSU.
The man who coined the phrase “Touchdown FSU” has officially hung up his radio headset for the very last time after the conclusion of Florida State’s Garnet and Gold spring football game. This comes after 47 consecutive years of calling games for Seminoles football, baseball, and basketball teams. Deckerhoff was one of the most beloved voices in all of college sports for his unique style of play calling and distinct voice that filled the radio waves of Tallahassee every Saturday.
Deckerhoff was the radio announcer for 529 football games, including three national championships and over 1,300 men’s basketball games. These are two accomplishments that may never be reached.
In a story done by ABC 27 Tallahassee, a heartfelt goodbye was carried out for the Seminole legend at the spring game as many fans filled the bleachers and chanted with him for his ceremonial sendoff. What Deckerhoff will miss the most are the great teams, wins against rivals, coaches, and fans.
“Voices have a timeline,” Deckerhoff stated. “My timeline is up and somebody else is going to take off because the university is going to be here forever.”
Not only was Deckerhoff involved in announcing Seminole sports, but he also had his very own show with Florida State legend Bobby Bowden called “The Bobby Bowden show.” This program would extensively discuss and breakdown the football game that happened the day before. Burt Reynolds, another Seminole legend who played for the team in the 1950s, would regularly make appearances. A lot of Florida State star power for a weekly 30-minute segment.
What a lot of fans and avid gamers may not realize about Deckerhoff is that he is also featured in Madden, NCAA, and arena football video games as the P.A. announcer.
However, Deckerhoff’s play calling career is not all said and done as he will continue to be the radio announcer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a position he has held since 1989. He wants to have one more shot at seeing the Bucs win a superbowl with Tom Brady at the helm. In addition to his “Touchdown FSU” slogan, many Tampa Bay fans know his catchphrase “Touchdown Tampa Bay.” If anyone is a Bucs and Florida State fan, they have the best of both worlds.
Deckerhoff’s typical weekends would consist of calling FSU football games on Saturday and Bucs games on Sunday, often times having to travel to another city overnight. Despite the hectic weekends, he managed to get it done for 32 years.
As for now, there is no clear frontrunner to take over Deckerhoff’s job as FSU’s play-by-play announcer. What is a known fact is that the Seminole’s athletic organization is saying goodbye to one of the most prolific voices in all of sports. What he will leave behind is a genuine, admirable, and talented person with many great memories at Doak Campbell Stadium.
