At some point in the next six weeks, a Tampa Bay player will score the last touchdown of the Buccaneers' 2025 season. And for the final time, Buccaneer fans all across the state of Florida will hear the signature call of Gene Deckerhoff, three words that have become iconic, warmly familiar and always welcome over airwaves for nearly four decades.
"Touchdown, Tampa Bay!"
On Wednesday, the team announced that Deckerhoff will retire at the conclusion of the current season after 37 seasons as the play-by-play announcer for the Buccaneers' radio network. By that time, Deckerhoff will have called more than 800 Buccaneers games and alerted fans to a Tampa Bay touchdown on more than 1,100 occasions. That is, of course, just one of his many memorable calls over 37 years, as his voice echoes every time an unforgettable moment in franchise history is recalled.
"For 37 seasons, Gene Deckerhoff's voice has set the scene for the most iconic moments in our franchise's history, and his signature calls will forever resonate with Buccaneers fans," said Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer. "His passion, authenticity, and unmistakable voice created memories that have been cherished and enjoyed by countless generations of Buccaneers fans. As he closes out his extraordinary journey, we congratulate Gene on a remarkable broadcasting career and wish him a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement."
The Buccaneers' fanbase has had a unique opportunity to form a bond with their team's radio announcer and Deckerhoff will forever remain a beloved figure in franchise history. His 37 seasons on the call for Tampa Bay rank as the third-longest play-by-play tenure for an NFL club, behind only the Eagles' Merrill Reese and the Cowboys' Brad Sham. Deckerhoff has called the action for three-quarters of all games in franchise history and has aptly described all the highs and lows for the franchise since he joined the organization in 1989. That includes calling both of the team's Super Bowl victories, 18 years apart.
"Calling Buccaneers games has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career," said Deckerhoff. "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. My wife, Ann, and I are grateful to the Glazer family for allowing us to be a part of the Buccaneers organization for so many wonderful years. I am equally thankful to all the members of the radio crew and the partners I have had with me through the years-- particularly Dave Moore, who has been by my side for the past 19 years. I will miss doing what I love, but now is the right time to step away."
Indeed, many of Deckerhoff's calls through the years have become as unforgettable as the plays they described, instantly quotable by Buccaneer fans of all ages. Derrick Brooks' pick-six that sealed the team's Super Bowl XXXVII victory is known as "the dagger" because Deckerhoff punctuated the moment by belting out, "There it is! The dagger's in! We're going to win the Super Bowl!" When Joe Jurevicius turned a short catch in the 2002 NFC Championship into a momentum-shifting 71-yard gain, seemingly driven to a greater speed by thoughts of his ailing infant son, Deckerhoff spurred him on with the simple call of, "You go, Joe!"
Later in that same game Rondé Barber delivered the greatest single play in franchise history with the 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that sent the Bucs to their first Super Bowl. Deckerhoff added the tagline forever connected to the play: "Gone! Coast to Coast, Rondé Barber!" On another memorable long play, Deckerhoff exclaimed, "Run, Micheal, run!" as Micheal Spurlock was breaking free for the first kickoff return for a touchdown in franchise history in 2007.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today announced that radio play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff will retire at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season, closing out one of the longest and most distinguished broadcasting tenures in franchise and league history.
Deckerhoff's impact goes even beyond the Buccaneers and spans more than six decades, as he developed into one of the nation's premier play-by-play announcers. He was also the voice of the Florida State Seminoles from 1979-2021 becoming iconic to that community as well while lending his presence and unmistakable voice to various team events. He was also a sports director in local television in Tallahassee.
Deckerhoff has won the Florida Sportscaster of the Year award 16 times and was enshrined in the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was just the fourth broadcaster to receive that latter honor, and he is also a member of the Hall of Fames for Florida State University Athletics (2002), Florida Community College Activities (2004) and Florida Association of Broadcasters (2024). In 2013, he was presented with the Chris Schenkel Award, which is presented each year to a broadcaster who has demonstrated long-time excellence in play-by-play announcing.
The voice, unmistakable. The calls, unforgettable. The career, unmatched. As the Buccaneers' 2025 season comes to its eventual conclusion, so does one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasting careers of all time. As Gene Deckerhoff would say, "Fire them cannons!"
