Keith Jackson, iconic college football announcer, dies at 89

By Kathleen Joyce

Published January 13, 2018

Legendary college football announcer Keith Jackson died Friday at 89.

Jackson died “surrounded by his family,” NBC Sports’ Todd Harris reported.

Jackson, who began his broadcasting career in 1952, was best known for his longtime stint on ABC Sports, ESPN reported. He began working at ABC in 1966 until 2006 when he retired and called his last game, the Bowl Championship Series game between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Southern California.

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Jackson was known for signature calls such as “Whoa, Nellie!” and “big uglies” and calling the Rose Bowl “The Granddaddy of Them All,” Sports Illustrated reported.  

Besides college football, Jackson also covered other sports games in the NBA, golf, MLB, NFL and the Olympics.

Jackson also appeared in a number of commercials and had a brief role in the 1966 film "The Fortune Cookie" when he played a sports announcer, according to his IMDB page.

The Rose Bowl named their radio and television spaces after Jackson in 2015.