Legendary sports broadcaster Keith Jackson dies at age 89

But while his college football career alone would be legendary, it would be a disservice to forget the versatility Jackson showed that was a staple in the Wide World of Sports days.

Jackson even paired alongside Dick Vitale as ABC’s lead college basketball team for 5 years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I am grateful for my time with a true legend. His calls were as much a part of the entertainment as the game itself, and he’ll be remembered forever for his signature call: “Whoah, Nellie!”

Born in Roopville, Georgia, on October 18, 1928, Jackson was also the first play-by-play broadcaster for “Monday Night Football” when it debuted in 1970 and covered a wide range of sports.

Penn State’s Joe Paterno said: “Keith Jackson and college football”.

Jackson spent more than 50 years as a sports broadcaster. “You’re Mr. College Football'”.

Jackson turned the word “fumble” into an event during games, stressing the second syllable to make it sound like he was saying “fum-BULL”.

Strangers in restaurants, airports, stadium parking lots and downtown streets would sidle up to Jackson and bellow, “Whoa, Nellie!“.

“It was always fun to be in Keith’s presence in a college-football town the night or two before the game”, said former ABC Sports producer/director Doug Wilson, “especially when you were up in the Northwest, where he went to college”.

Broyles’ first ABC broadcast wasn’t with Jackson. ABC producer Don Ohlmeyer liked Broyles’ work and asked him back for the Auburn-Texas Gator Bowl, when he again was teamed with Schenkel. It was one of 10 Olympic Games that Jackson would cover for Kandi Burruss ABC.

Jackson’s voice was synonymous with college football for generations of fans. “Well, we had a mule in Georgia, but her name was Pearl”. “We became good friends from the very beginning when we started working together”. “It was always about the kids on the field”. “He was the expert and he coached me and was my mentor”.

“If I’ve helped people enjoy the telecast, that’s fine”, he said. That was some of the best advice I ever got.

“Silence is an interesting thing”, Jackson said.

“Keith is the epitome of doing the game for the enjoyment of the fans”, Broyles said.

“He’s just a nice guy”, the Pullman mayor said. Though to hear him tell it, he shouldn’t have been.

Jackson received numerous honors throughout his career, including a Gold Medal Award in 1999 from the National Football Foundation, and a 1994 induction into the ASA Hall of Fame. He was with ABC for 40 of those years. He never intruded on the game. He organized a sports-specific symposium, Johnson recalled, and “brought in some of the big ABC talent, leaders in sports … had them all here, put a great symposium together”.

Rest in peace, Keith, and thanks for all the great memories. “They work together beautifully”.

Jackson subscribed to a simple philosophy – “Amplify, clarify, punctuate and let the viewer draw their own conclusion” – and used the model to capture radio and TV audiences for half of a century.