Jackson was my favorite announcer.
Many years ago I was watching a national championship game from one of the really low associations. I think it was the Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama. I was surprised that Jackson was announcing such a low tier game.
Before the game started, the camera swung over to a nearby section of Georgia. Jackson commented that as a boy, he had plowed behind a mule in that very field they were showing.
I think after WWII he lived in Washington state but he never completely lost that Georgia voice.
Whoa, Nelly!
RIP
No doubt he loved college football as much as anyone.
He had some name he’d call particularly outstanding players.
Something like he’s a ‘Big Ugly’ or something like that. It was considered an honor to be called that.
Ah, damn. Keith Jackson’s voice WAS college football for me growing up.
I really miss Keith Jackson and Vern Lundquist. So many great announcers have died or retired.
Grew up listening to his voice (and Bud Wilkinson’s) covering those NCAA games in the 70’s (maybe even the 60’s). Great announcer, great voice.
Now, I hope he is able to RIP in the Lord’s arms...and that all those linemen that he’d refer to as “the big uglies” understood that it was a term of endearment.
RIP.
Yes, THE GREATEST of All Time
Funny that you remember his use of “autumnal” Which is a word my friends and I recall him using when we text, doing imitations of KJ, etc.
The Early Glory Daze of CFB . . . as I watch the Pac 12 Network series “the 12 Greatest Players” for each school, Keith’s voice is heard on many of the clips
Thanks KJ for making my life a little better
He was a treasure. No current college football announcer comes close.
He has been missed for sure...hasn’t been replaced.
There are a few sports voices that were just about perfect. Jack Buck. Keith Jackson. Hot Rod Hundley. Vin Scully. No doubt you can name a list too.
Hearing him announce the starting lineups was always fun and information. I always remember him having introduced a player with his classic inflection “from Alabama...” the way he drew out the syllables was exciting and awesome.
I remembered when he retired. I thought it was just a few years ago. Here it’s 12 years ago already? Time flies. R.I.P. Keith Jackson.
Greatest college football announcer, RIP, Keith!
Was it Keith Jackson who announced the murder of the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972?
Indeed it was.
It's third down and a country mile to go.
IIRC, he was the announcer on the first season of NFL Monday Night Football...or maybe my flu has me hallucinating.
Whoa Nellie!!!
My buddy and I saw Mr. Jackson and his wife shopping in our local Dillards store in Lincoln, Ne. He was in town to call the Nebraska Oklahoma game in I believe ‘89. We were both in our early 20’s and we followed him all over the store because we were starstruck. Needless to say we are both huge college football fans. He looked at us like he thought we were going to rob him. I would think the giggling would have given us away.
He was the best and you knew if he was calling your game on ABC that your game was the big one of the day. He was the guy that started calling the Rose Bowl “the granddaddy of em all”. RIP.