Mike Keith (sportscaster)

Last updated
Mike Keith
Mike Keith 02-23-2013.jpg
Mike Keith on February 23, 2013
Born (1967-09-11) September 11, 1967 (age 56)
Alma mater University of Tennessee
OccupationSportscaster
Years active1984–current
Awards
  • Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (2021)
  • Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame (2020)
  • Tennessee’s Sportscaster of the Year, 11-times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2023)
  • Edward R. Murrow Award for nationwide excellence in sports reporting (1997)
Sports commentary career
Team Tennessee Titans (1999–current)
Genre Play-by-play

Mike Keith (born September 11, 1967) [1] is the radio play-by-play voice of the National Football League's Tennessee Titans. His signature phrase is an emphatic and raspy "Touchdown Titans!", especially pronouncing "Titans" with a glottal stop after each Titan touchdown, and a loud and drawn out cry of "SSAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK" after every sack.

Contents

Early life

Keith's broadcasting ambitions began at age 7, when his father began taking him to University of Tennessee football and basketball games. While attending elementary school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Keith was part of a reading program where he participated in a mock newscast. In 1977, his family moved to Franklin, Tennessee, a Nashville suburb. Keith attended high school at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. He played a wide receiver, punter and defensive back as a member of the school's football team. [2]

After high school, Keith attended the University of Tennessee. Here, he began his broadcasting career as a student and continued after completing school. From 1987 to 1998, Keith worked for the legendary John Ward with the Vol Radio Network, a network that covered University of Tennessee athletics. From 1989 to 1998, Keith hosted daily sports talk shows on WIVK, a Knoxville, Tennessee radio station, and he covered University of Tennessee sports in Knoxville for WIVK-FM radio and WBIR-TV television. [3]

Tennessee Titans Career

In 1996, Bud Adams, the owner of the National Football League’s Houston Oilers announced he would move his team to Nashville. That same year, while the team was in still in Houston, Keith began hosting a pre-game show for Tennessee stations that carried the Oilers games. He served as the network’s scoreboard host in 1997 before moving into the booth as color analyst in 1998. In 1999, Keith took over the play-by-play duties. [4]

Since taking over the play-by-play role, Keith has consistently announced every Titans touchdown with his signature phrase, "Touchdown Titans!" Keith's most famous call is that of the Music City Miracle, near the end of his first season as play-by-play announcer. The unbelievable play resulted in a last-minute Titans win that kept them alive in the 1999-2000 NFL Playoffs and eventually led the team to Super Bowl XXXIV. [5]

Since 1999, Keith has won the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year Award twelve times. He also hosts the television show Titans All Access, in addition to hosting daily Titans updates on Titans Radio, and hosting the weekly Mike Vrabel Show, a radio show which features the Titans' head coach as co-host. [6]

Personal life

Keith is married to his wife Michelle. They have a daughter and a son. He was also the play-by-play radio voice of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats. He also worked as the public address announcer for Battle Ground Academy’s home football games. Keith's father, Bill, is president of FirstExpress, a truckload carrier company based in Nashville. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ Wiedmer, Mark (2017-10-05). "'Voice of the Titans' speaks encouraging words to dreamers". timesfreepress.com. Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  2. ↑ Gilfillan, Kelly (2014-08-21). "Titans voice doubles as BGA PA announcer". williamsonhomepage.com. Franklin Home Page. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  3. ↑ "Titans Fans Will Tell You: There is Nothing Like Titans Radio!". tennesseetitans.com. Tennessee Titans. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  4. ↑ "Mike Keith: THIS is Titans Radio". titansradio.com. Titans Radio. 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  5. ↑ "Mike Keith - THIS is Titans Radio". titansradio.com. Titans Radio. 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  6. ↑ "Tennessee Sportscasters of the Year". nationalsportsmedia.org. National Sports Media Association. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  7. ↑ Gilfillan, Kelly (2014-08-21). "Titans voice doubles as BGA PA announcer". williamsonhomepage.com. Franklin Home Page. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
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