The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 28, 1998, Page Page 9, Image 9
It's almos
college press EXCHANGE
For 27 autumns, he has entertained
us with his homespun humor and has
amused us with his often-imitated 'Whoa
Nellie!'
When you flip on ABC and hear Keith
Jackson calling a game this season,
take a moment to appreciate the
work of a legend. It could be your last
chance.
Jackson, who has announced col
lege football for 46 of the past 47 years,
will retire after the Jan. 4 Fiesta Bowl,
which likely will determine the national
championship.
"It just seems like the right time,"
Jackson said recently from his summer
home in British Columbia. "IH be 70 in
October. Ifs the next generation's turn."
Other sportscasters have won more
awards. Others have received more
prime-time exposure. But no current
network play-by-play announcer is associated
more strongly with a particular
sport than Jackson is with college
football.
Jackson has been the sport's signature
voice for nearly three decades.
And he hasn't liked everything he has
seen, especially lately.
"The indecisiveness of the leadership
of the collegiate community has
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been the worst part," Jackson said.
"They could have served their playoff
iaea in a Detter way. &ven witn tne new
system, what are you going to do when
thqre are three undefeated teams? The
best way to do it would be picking
four teams after the bowl games. But
the college presidents have kept that
from happening.
"The other thing that bothers me is
that student-athletes should be paid.
Anyone who generates revenue should
share in the pot."
Still, Jackson won't leave the game
bitter.
"I'm going to miss being at the stadium,"
he says. "IH miss the ambience,
the gathering, the band, the special feeling.
"People come back to campus to
watch the games, and that maintains
a link between generations. That's why
I prefer college football to the NFL. But
I won't miss the traveling or the airline
food or the limo drivers who don't show
up."
Jackson shakes his head when he
hears announcers like Roy Firestone
imitate his Southern accent. "I don't
know what that serves," Jackson says.
"And the expression, Whoa Nellie!' is
not really mine. I don't even remember
the tirst time 1 used it. it actually came
hat over 260 ?
Ianizations ,??,
)ffer you!
n call 777-5780
o by the
ivities Center.
ife Division of Student & Alumni Services
DY HISTORY ------
I for ABC's
from an old fellow in Los Angeles named
Dick Lane, who used it all the time back
in the 1950s when he was doing roller
derby for several television stations."
Jackson doesn't want to be remembered
for any particular expression.
But he takes immense pride in his
ability to express himself with analogies
and historical references ? a talent
rare among contemporary sportscasters.
Jackson began his career as a news
anchor in Seattle, where he honed his
writing skills.
He joined ABC as a news correspondent
in 1964, became the play-byplay
announcer for the first year of Monday
Night Football (1970), then moved
permanently to ABC's college-football
package in 1971 while juggling NBA
games and other assignments.
"If you are going to have success
in the business, you have to never be
afraid to turn a phrase," Jackson says.
"If you can say something that people
will unrlprcfnnrl anH pninv fhpn Hn it
Don't say it just to be cute.
"And don't confuse your listener.
Sometimes, clarity comes easily if you
use different phrases. That's the only
mechanical thing I've done to be a little
different."
Jackson has worked with more than
a dozen broadcast partners on various
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Jackson
sports: Howard Cosell during his one
season on Monday Night Football, Dick
Vitale on college basketball and Bill
Russell and Jerry West on the NBA.
Jackson has been paired with Bob
Griese the past 11 years on college football.
"It has been a fun 11 years," Griese
said. "Keith is so talented, yet he's so
down to earth. There are a lot of
memories. One time in a Florida-Florida
State game, both teams came out
firing. Keith says, 'Whoa Nellie! The
barn's on fire, and they're taking a couple
of rows of the cornfield!' I have to
listen closely because if he comes up
with something the listener doesn't understand,
I have to say, 'Back up.'"
Jackson will spend his retirement
in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
"I fish when I'm in British Columbia
when there are fish to be fished,"
Jackson says, just the way you would
expect him to say it. "My wife is a gardener.
The days go by swiftly."
How does he want to be remembered?
"I want people to think I was a pro,"
he said. "One bit of advice I got at a
young age was, 'Never let your mouth
overload your rump.' I've tried to follow
that."
JUNIORS! I
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Gamecock
DEFENSE continued from page 9
perience), and senior Keris Sullivan
will rotate in whenever Carolina shifts
to a nickel defensive package.
Clearly, though, Torrance has the
toughest assignment of any Gamecock
defensive back this fall.
"Strong safety is an entirely different
position with entirely different
reads," he said. "It's also much more
physical because you have to come yp
to play the run and deliver some hits.
I think the coaches put me there because
of my size and because I don't
mind hitting people."
At linebacker. USC has been re
markably consistent over the summer.
With a glaring weak spot at this
position after Darren Hambrick went
down in the season-opener last year,
the Gamecocks should be much deeper
and more resilient in 1998.
"We know we've got to assume
more responsibility now," said junior
Corey Atkins. "Each one of us has
to take on some of that on-the-field
leadership that we'll miss not having
Arturo in the lineup."
Led by Atkins, redshirt sophomore
Andre Offing and redshirt freshman
Willie Offord, several other players
will also see time at the linebacker position
for Carolina this fall.
Sophomore Marco Hutchinson
(who lettered in 1997 as a true freshman
and saw plenty of action after
the injury to Darren Hambrick),
redshirt freshman Shannon Wadley
and true freshmen Darion Hutcherson
and Kenny Harney each have the
kind of talent to press the starters for
playing time.
In the defensive trenches, Carolina
will have to compensate for a
considerable size disadvantage against
most SEC offensive lines.
At tackle, 6'3", 315 lb. junior college
transfer Kevin Johnson should
help resolve that issue as the season
progresses.
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In the meantime, juniors Cecil
Caldwell and Errol Rochester (who
switched from linebacker last season)
are listed as the starters and will be
backed up by sophomore Anthony
Overstreet and senior Rachad Wilson.
"It's very important that we gain
some confidence our first game," Wilson
said. "Cecil and Errol are both
playing solid football right now, but
we need to prove to people that
we're ready as a unit. We need to come
out right away and show we can
stop the run."
Last year, USC finished ninth in the
SEC in rushing defense, giving up
more 130 yards per game and more
than four yards per carry.
At defensive end, junior John Abraham
emerged last season as one of the
top players in the conference, leading
the Gamecocks with 6.5 sacks and 14
quarterback pressures.
A menacing pass-rusher, Abraham
is clearly USC's top defensive
player in the wake of Freeman's in
jury.
"John is an impact player in the
SEC," Burnham said. "I don't think
there's anything he can't do on a football
field.
"He can play the run, run people
down, rush the passer and do all the
things you expect a defensive end to
do."
Junior Matt Marsters is listed at
the other starting slot, while redshirt
freshman John Stamper and junior
walk-on Thomas Hill are slated as the
two backups.
Finding additional depth at all defensive
line positions will be critical
to Carolina's overall success this year.
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