Verne Lundquist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Verne Lundquist
Lundquist at the 2009 NCAA tournament.
Born	Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. (1940-07-17) July 17, 1940 (age 84) Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Other names	The Golden Throat
Sports commentary career
Genre(s)	Play-by-play
Sports	American football basketball golf

Verne Lundquist (born July 17, 1940) is a famous American sportscaster. He is known for his long and exciting career with CBS Sports. People often call him "The Golden Throat" because of his distinctive voice.

Early Life and Beginnings

Verne Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He grew up and went to Austin High School in Austin, Texas. After high school, he attended Texas Lutheran University, graduating in 1962.

Verne started his career in broadcasting as a disc jockey in Iowa. His clear, strong voice was noticed early on.

A Career in Sports Broadcasting

Verne Lundquist began his sports broadcasting journey in Austin, Texas. He worked as a sports anchor for KTBC. Later, he moved to Dallas and became the radio voice for the Dallas Cowboys football team. He worked with the Cowboys from 1967 to 1984.

From 1970 to 1974, Verne also hosted a sports show called Bowling for Dollars in Dallas. During this time, he started interviewing Cowboys players and their coach, Tom Landry.

Working for Big Networks

Verne Lundquist worked for many major sports networks. He was with ABC Sports from 1974 to 1981. Then he joined CBS from 1982 to 1995. After that, he worked for TNT from 1995 to 1997. He returned to CBS in 1998.

Verne's fun personality and excitement for the games he covered made him very popular. He was easy to recognize on TV.

He called many different sports, including:

• NFL games for CBS
• NBA games for CBS and TNT
• TNT Sunday Night Football

Verne also called Seattle Seahawks preseason games from 2006 to 2008.

Calling Winter Olympics Events

Verne Lundquist was an announcer for figure skating at the Winter Olympics. He covered the events in 1992, 1994, and 1998. He worked alongside figure skater Scott Hamilton. Their announcing style was so unique that it was even made fun of on the TV show Saturday Night Live! Verne thought the parody was very accurate.

College Sports and Retirement

After returning to CBS, Verne became the main announcer for college football games on SEC on CBS. He called these exciting games from 2000 to 2016.

Verne retired from calling college football after the Army–Navy Game on December 10, 2016. In March 2018, he also announced his retirement from calling college basketball games.

Even after retiring from football and basketball, Verne continued to call golf tournaments for CBS Sports. He called the PGA Championship until 2021 and the Masters Tournament until 2024. His final broadcast was the 2024 Masters, marking his 40th time covering the event.

Verne Lundquist now lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Other Appearances

Verne Lundquist even appeared in the 1996 movie Happy Gilmore. He played himself, commentating on a golf tournament.

He was also the play-by-play announcer in the NBA Live 98 and College Hoops 2K8 video games.

Memorable Calls

Verne Lundquist is famous for his exciting calls during big sports moments. One of his favorite phrases was "How do you DO!"

Here are some of his most famous calls:

• January 21, 1979 (Super Bowl XIII): When Dallas Cowboys player Jackie Smith dropped a pass that could have tied the game, Verne said:

Bless his heart, he's got to be the sickest man in America!

• April 13, 1986 (Masters Tournament): When golf legend Jack Nicklaus made a birdie putt to take the lead, Verne exclaimed:

Maybe...YES, SIR!

• March 28, 1992 (NCAA Basketball Tournament): In a thrilling college basketball game between Kentucky and Duke, Christian Laettner hit a last-second shot to win. Verne's call was:

There's the pass to Laettner...puts it up...YES!!!

• February 25, 1994 (Winter Olympics Figure Skating): During a very dramatic figure skating event involving Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, Harding had a problem with her skate. Verne commented:

Well, this bizarre real life movie continues.

• April 10, 2005 (Masters Tournament): When Tiger Woods made an incredible chip-in shot on the 16th hole, Verne shouted:

Here it comes...Oh, my goodness!...OH, WOW!! IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that?

• March 26, 2006 (NCAA Basketball Tournament): When underdog George Mason upset top-ranked Connecticut, Verne famously said:

By George, the dream is alive!

• November 30, 2013 (College Football - "Kick Six"): In a huge rivalry game between Alabama and Auburn, Auburn returned a missed field goal 100 yards for a game-winning touchdown on the very last play. Verne's exciting call was:

On the way … No, returned by Chris Davis. Davis goes left. Davis gets a block. Davis has another block! Chris Davis! No flags! Touchdown, Auburn! An answered prayer!

• April 14, 2019 (Masters Tournament): When Tiger Woods made a key birdie on the 16th hole on his way to winning the Masters, Verne said:

I am compelled to say...Oh my goodness.

• April 14, 2024 (Masters Tournament): For his final sign-off from CBS after 40 years of covering the Masters, Verne said:

It’s my honor, my privilege.

Honors and Recognition

Verne Lundquist has received many awards for his amazing career.

• In 2005, he was added to the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame.
• The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named him Texas Sportscaster of the Year several times. They also put him in their Hall of Fame in 2007.
• His nickname, "The Golden Throat," shows how much people admire his voice.
• In 2012, he gave a speech at Hampden–Sydney College, which he called "one of the true achievements of my lifetime."

Broadcasting Partners

Verne Lundquist worked with many different people during his long career. Some of his broadcasting partners include: