Tampa Bay Buccaneers Legend Deckerhoff to Retire

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One of the most legendary figures in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has announced his retirement.

Although Gene Deckerhoff never played or coached a snap for the Bucs, his tenure in Tampa outlasted that of Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and even the ageless Ronde Barber.

In fact, it wasn't close.

Barber, who holds Tampa's record for most games played, was with the Bucs for 16 seasons. Deckerhoff, the "Voice" of the Bucs, has been the team's radio play-by-play announcer for 37 years.

The Buccaneers announced on New Year's Eve that Deckerhoff will retire after the 2025 season.

Deckerhoff, 80, thanked the Glazer family, owners of the Buccaneers, as well as his radio crew and fellow announcers, including Dave Moore, the color guy, who has been paired with Deckerhoff for the past 19 years.

"Calling Buccaneers games has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career," Deckerhoff said in a team press release Wednesday. "I've had the fortune to form meaningful relationships with players, coaches and staff members as well as interact with thousands of Buccaneers fans everywhere in the world.

"I will miss doing what I love, but now is the right time to step away."

There were plenty of calls Deckerhoff was known for over his time in Tampa Bay, such as the way he'd punctuate a Buccaneers touchdown ("Fire them cannons!"), how he'd lead up to a Bucs score (five, four, three, two, one ... touchdown, Tampa Bay!) and his enthusiasm for the running of 250-pound fullback and Hall of Fame candidate Mike Alstott ("Alstott up the gut!").

Football fans who are unfamiliar with Deckerhoff's work need only to watch the team's 2002 Super Bowl highlight film, in which his voice features prominently.

Deckerhoff made many memorable calls throughout that Super Bowl run, but perhaps the sweetest for Buccaneers fans was the one he made after Brooks' pick-6 sealed the victory, 31-6, over the San Francisco 49ers.

"There it is! The dagger's in! We're going to win the Super Bowl!"

Deckerhoff was already well-known to football fans in Florida before he got the Buccaneers job, having started calling Florida State games in 1979 and holding that post through the spring 2022.

Deckerhoff had been the third-longest tenured NFL play-by-play announcer for a specific team, with only Merrill Reese, 83, for the Philadelphia Eagles (1977-present) and Brad Sham, 79, with the Dallas Cowboys (1976-present), having called games longer.

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