Play-By-Play Profile: Verne Lundquist

Athens, GA (Nov 29, 2007) - One of my favorite memories involving Verne Lundquist came during a playoff game in Philadelphia. It was so cold outside that the portable toilets were frozen. He was paired with Terry Bradshaw in the booth, which had no windows. At one point, some drunken(?) Eagles fans started throwing ice balls at Verne and Terry. As the two were exchanging dialogue on air, Bradshaw started throwing the iceballs back at the fans, and Verne did not miss a beat. Aa little tidbit I picked up last week: both Verne and Brent Musberger are 67-years old this week. I would take Verne over Musberger any day of the week. Here is his profile, which interesting makes no mention of his work for Turner Sports, as published by CBS Sports:

Verne Lundquist first joined CBS Sports in 1982, during his tenure he has broadcast over 20 different sports for the Network. Currently, Lundquist serves as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' coverage of college football, alongside analyst Gary Danielson.

In addition he serves as a play-by-play announcer for the Network's coverage of NCAA Basketball, including the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. He provides commentary for the Mastersâ, the PGA Championship, among other PGA TOUR events.

He marked his 20th year covering the Mastersâ in 2004 and was a regular member of CBS's golf announce team from 1983-1995. Lundquist returned to CBS Sports in 1998 after having previously worked for CBS from 1983-1995. During his career, he worked with Terry Bradshaw and Dan Fouts, and occasionally with lead analyst John Madden, on the Network's NFL broadcasts and was lead play-by-play announcer for CBS's coverage of figure skating during the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympic Winter Games. He had extensive involvement in the Network's previous coverage of the NBA. His extensive credits at CBS Sports include track and field, swimming and diving, boxing, volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, weightlifting, free-style skiing, archery, horse racing and horse jumping.

He spent eight years at ABC Sports and three years as a play-by-play announcer for TNT's coverage of the NFL, NBA and golf and figure skating coverage (1995-97).

Lundquist was inducted into the National Sportscaster and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in April. He is well known in Texas as the long-time radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys (1972-84). Lundquist was sports director at WFAA-TV in Dallas for 16 years and won seven consecutive Texas Sportscaster of the Year Awards (1977-83). He was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. Lundquist was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. It was the first time in the 55-year history of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame that members of the media were inducted. Lundquist was part of the inaugural class along with seven other legendary sportscaster and sports writers. He was named a 2005 Legend of the Sun Bowl by the Sun Bowl Association. Lundquist presented former Pittsburgh Steeler great Terry Bradshaw at his induction ceremonies in Canton, Ohio for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He began his career at KTBC-TV in Austin at a station owned by President and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson. He has played himself in three movies. Born July 17, 1940, in Duluth, Minn., he grew up in Everett, Wash. and Austin, Texas.

Lundquist earned his bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Texas Lutheran College in 1962 and received that school's Distinguished Alumnus Award. He lives in Steamboat Springs, Colo., with his wife, Nancy, and serves on the Board of Directors of the summer chamber music festival, "Strings in the Mountains."

Photograph Courtesy of CBS Sports. Photograpgh by Craig Blankenhorn/CBS ©2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

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