‘I was shocked’: Eagles announcer Merrill Reese heading into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Merrill Reese is about to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Reese, 81, the longtime radio voice of the Eagles, has been awarded the 2024 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, which is given each year to a member of the media for “longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.”

“Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes an individual who has dedicated their career to improving radio and television in professional football, and this year’s recipient, Merrill Reese, represents exactly what we look for when we talk about who’s made a big impact in broadcasting,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “For nearly a half century, fans tuning into Eagles games, including opposing fans, have had the privilege of hearing Merrill’s legendary voice.”

The last thing Reese expected was to receive a call from the Hall of Fame, despite his lengthy tenure in the booth and his lifelong devotion to the Eagles.

“I was shocked. Absolutely shocked and overwhelmed,” Reese told The Inquirer, admitting he got a bit emotional during the phone call. “This was the furthest thing from my mind.”

Reese will receive the award in August during the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies in Canton, Ohio. Past winners of the award include Jim Nantz; Philly native Andrea Kremer; John Facenda, the late voice of NFL Films; and Joe Buck, a huge fan of Reese who has compared the Eagles announcer to his own father, legendary broadcaster Jack Buck.

“He’s great. His emotions are on his sleeve,” Buck told The Inquirer in 2019. “I almost hear some of my dad because I feel like there’s almost a crackle in his voice due to excitement when the team’s playing well, or the dejection when somebody completes a big pass or gets a touchdown against Philly.”

Reese is the longest-tenured announcer in the NFL, calling Eagles games since 1977. He was thrust into the play-by-play position following the death of Eagles announcer Charlie Swift near the end of the 1977 season, and 46 years later is just about as beloved by fans as the franchise itself.

In a statement, Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie praised Reese’s “genuine enthusiasm, passion, and unwavering dedication to his craft.”

Before becoming the voice of the Eagles, Reese strung together a radio career that included stops in Pottstown and Levittown (where he remains a part-owner of WBCB-AM) before being hired by WIP and landing the job hosting the station’s Eagles pregame and postgame shows. He did that for four years before replacing color analyst Al Pollard in the booth in 1977.

In addition to calling the team’s Super Bowl victory in 2018, Reese said he thought the epitome of his career was being placed in the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016. But Reese said receiving the Pete Rozelle Award and being added to the list of legendary broadcasters in the Hall of Fame “is the single greatest honor I’ve ever achieved.”

Next season will be Reese’s 27th season in the booth alongside former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick; it’s the final year of a contract Reese signed in 2022. Even in his 80s, Reese is still excited to call games for the team he grew up in Overbrook Park rooting for at Franklin Field — and he turned down many offers over the years to join national broadcasts.

“I want to do it forever,” Reese said. “There’s no end date. I feel great. I stay in shape, my voice hasn’t changed, and my eyesight is good. There’s nothing I would rather do in the world.”