# Gene Deckerhoff

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gene_Deckerhoff
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gene_Deckerhoff.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Deckerhoff
> Source revision: 1355318018
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American sports play-by-play announcer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Infobox person
|name              = Emerson Eugene Deckerhoff
|image             = File:Gene Deckerhoff.jpg
|image_size        = 250px
|caption           = Deckerhoff in 2020
|birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1945|5|2}}
|birth_place       = [Jacksonville, Florida](/source/Jacksonville%2C_Florida), U.S.
|death_date        =
|death_place       =
|alma_mater        = [University of Florida](/source/University_of_Florida)
|known_for         = Voice of the [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](/source/Tampa_Bay_Buccaneers)<br /> Voice of the [Florida State Seminoles](/source/Florida_State_Seminoles)
|spouse            = Ann Deckerhoff
|children          = 3 children, 6 grandchildren
}}

'''Emerson Eugene Deckerhoff Jr.''' (born May 2, 1945) is a retired [sports commentator](/source/sports_commentator). He was most recently play-by-play announcer of the [NFL](/source/NFL)'s [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](/source/Tampa_Bay_Buccaneers), a post he held from 1989 to his retirement in 2025.<ref name=Honor>{{cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=JJ|title=Gene Deckerhoff should be next in line for Buccaneers ring of honor|website=[Bleacher Report](/source/Bleacher_Report)|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1215932-gene-deckerhoff-should-be-next-in-line-for-buccaneers-ring-of-honor|access-date=16 September 2012|date=10 June 2012}}</ref>  He also served as the longtime voice of the [Florida State Seminoles](/source/Florida_State_Seminoles),<ref name=FSU>{{cite web|title=Gene Deckerhoff's Top 10 |url=http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111611aae.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202090354/http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111611aae.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 February 2013 |publisher=Seminoles.com |accessdate=16 September 2012 |date=16 November 2011 }}</ref> calling games for the football, men's basketball, and baseball teams. Deckerhoff announced his retirement from FSU broadcasts following the football team's 2022 spring game.<ref>{{cite news |title=FLORIDA STATE'S LEGENDARY ANNOUNCER GENE DECKERHOFF TO SIGN OFF |url=https://seminoles.com/florida-states-legendary-announcer-gene-deckerhoff-to-sign-off/ |website=Florida State Seminoles |access-date=18 March 2022 |date=18 March 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pepper |first1=Cole |title=Last call: Legendary Voice of the Seminoles Gene Deckerhoff retires from FSU |url=https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2022/04/10/last-call-legendary-voice-of-the-seminoles-gene-deckerhoff-retires-from-fsu/ |website=WJXT |access-date=12 April 2022 |language=en |date=10 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Ryan |title=Gene Deckerhoff signs off for the final time as Voice of the Noles |url=https://www.wctv.tv/2022/04/10/gene-deckerhoff-signs-off-final-time-voice-noles/ |website=[WCTV](/source/WCTV) |date=10 April 2022 |access-date=12 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

He also has broadcast games for the [Arena Football League](/source/Arena_Football_League)'s [Orlando Predators](/source/Orlando_Predators) and [Tampa Bay Storm](/source/Tampa_Bay_Storm) as a television play-by-play announcer. He also voices the P.A. announcer for [EA Sports](/source/EA_Sports) [Madden NFL](/source/Madden_NFL), [NCAA Football](/source/NCAA_Football_(series)) and [Arena Football](/source/Arena_Football_(2006_video_game)) video games.

After the [2025 season](/source/2025_Tampa_Bay_Buccaneers_season), Deckerhoff retired from announcing.<ref>https://www.buccaneers.com/news/last-call-gene-deckerhoff-voice-buccaneers-retiring-after-2025-season</ref>

==Broadcasting career==
Deckerhoff formerly hosted a 30-minute weekly TV show with former FSU head coach [Bobby Bowden](/source/Bobby_Bowden) called "The Bobby Bowden Show" in which they reviewed the previous day's game. The show regularly featured a segment with [Burt Reynolds](/source/Burt_Reynolds), an FSU alum who played for the Seminole football team in the 1950s.

Gene covered both the Bucs and 'Noles concurrently from 1989 to 2022. He and his wife traveled from Tallahassee to Tampa during football season when Gene's teams were both playing home games.

Deckerhoff is known for bellowing "Touchdown, Tampa Bay!" after every Buccaneer touchdown. During home games, he also adds, "Fire the cannons!"–a nod to the cannons that fire after every touchdown at [Raymond James Stadium](/source/Raymond_James_Stadium).

In 2000, he was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2002 was inducted into the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame. He graduated from the [University of Florida](/source/University_of_Florida), but was quoted as saying "I'm not a Gator - Period."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hubbuch |first=Bart |date=2007-08-18 |title=Deckerhoff always answers call |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081807/col_192450111.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126163138/http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081807/col_192450111.shtml |archive-date=2013-01-26 |website=Florida Times-Union}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.genedeckerhoff.com GeneDeckerhoff.com]
* [http://www.milleronsports.com/2011/08/gene-deckerhoff-on-miller-on-sports.html?em Radio Interview With Gene Deckerhoff August 2011 - Miller on Sports Radio]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deckerhoff, Gene}}
Category:Arena football announcers
Category:College basketball announcers in the United States
Category:Baseball announcers
Category:College football announcers
Category:American television sports commentators
Category:American radio sports commentators
Category:Florida State Seminoles football announcers
Category:People from Jacksonville, Florida
Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers announcers
Category:University of Florida alumni
Category:1945 births
Category:Living people
Category:United States Football League announcers

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gene Deckerhoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Deckerhoff) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Deckerhoff?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.