August 8, 2025 • 6 mins
Gene Deckerhoff has been the iconic voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 1989, delivering play-by-play calls that have become part of the franchise’s history. Known for his unmistakable energy and signature phrases, Deckerhoff has narrated decades of Bucs football, from thrilling victories to heart-wrenching losses, including the team’s Super Bowl XXXVII championship season. Beyond the Bucs, he’s equally legendary as the longtime voice of Florida State Seminoles football and basketball, creating a rare dual legacy in both college and professional sports. Beloved by fans for his passion, professionalism, and enthusiasm, Deckerhoff’s calls are woven into the fabric of Tampa Bay sports culture.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Big Rig Buccaneer training camp and a big year this
year because this is fifty years of buccaneer football in
Tampa Bay and a voice that has been here. He
got here to start doing buccaneer football the year before
I came here. So we're both legends in this field now.
Gene Deckerhoff is here. How are you, Jean.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Big I didn't nineteen ninety, I guess you. Gud eighty
nine was my first year and Jose the body of Ventura,
al Keck and I we said to the old Sombrera
and the air condition was very good in the press
box and you could see the field better because it
was on the second floor. And that was the beginning
of my broadcasting career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kinley.
Thirty seven years later, here we go and we're at
(00:39):
the Raymond James Stadium, the best stadium in the NFL
for fans and for broadcasters and for me. You the
best in the league in my opinion, and we begin
year number fifty.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
That's amazing, And it's funny you bring up al Keck
because al Keck was our sports guy back then with
the morning show and everything, and we all had that
tight little circle going on. What's the one thing when
you remember showing up right and you stepped into that
press box for the first time at the Old Sombrero,
what was the first thought that hit your mind? Because
it was pretty rudimentary back then. You have a card
table on a microphone out back.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh no, no, no, And I'll tell you I had
spent three years doing USFL football in the same stadium,
but we were up on the very top the roof.
That's where our broadcast location was.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
There.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
My first thought when I walked into the bucket or
radio network booth, Why golly, I can see the numbers
from here. And I was younger there. That was my
very first thought. I said, I'm glad we're not on
the roof anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And that's crazy because when we went there, we had
a Pink Floyd show there. We had to watch it
from the roof of the press box. And that was
not long before the Old Sombrera would go away, because
just one of the last shows in that building.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, Pink Floyd did wear numbers, though you didn't have
to worry about it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Oh no, we had a giant pink floating over the
field and it was awesome. You couldn't miss that, that's
for sure. So as we get this fiftieth anniversary here,
you've experienced some ups and down, some highs and lows.
Is there a moment when you think about your time
with the Buccaneers in thirty seven years that really stands
out to you as the moment you will never that'll
be like your pinnacle moment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, obviously super Bow thirty seven, the game in San
Diego and we completely wiped out the Oakland Raiders, and
I'll never forget that. And golly what we had four
players off that team in the Hall of Fame. Now
let's see Warren sab Derek Brooks, Rondez Barber, John Lynch
four and then Tony Dungee Hall of Fame. So and
then probably I think we have some more Hall of
(02:19):
Fame players on this present fiftieth anniversary team, including number
thirteen Mike Evans. And I don't sell Baker Mayfield short.
And I can't wait to see number seven and see
how he does in five six, seven years. He started
out the way you got to start if you want
to wear a gold jacket later on in life. But
a bucket, Bucky. But no, this is an exciting time
(02:39):
to be a Buccaneer fan for Big Rig. Four consecutive
NFC South titles. I mean, I remember we struggled and
struggled and struggled and finally won an NFC Central title.
I mean, we didn't think we're ever gonna We couldn't
beat Chicago. Minnesota was tough up there, particularly when they
had Randy Moss and the old Teddy Bridgewater was a
quarterback and by he's not a buccaneer, I'm back talk
(03:00):
an old school. But we couldn't. We could not beat Chicago.
Green Bay was always a thorn on their side. And
this NFC Central, the Black and Blue Division, we could
then all In two thousand and two, the realignment of
the league, we become NFC South. We play Atlanta, Carolina
and New Orleans, and you know that's not easy. People say, well,
it's easy to Bologney. I can use that word on
(03:22):
the radio. Okay, Bologne one of the last ones. Yeah,
one of the few. But every division is tough. Anyway
to win a division is even tougher. But we've done
it four in a row. That's that's a franchise record.
Five consecutive playoff. So it's great being a Bucket your
fan now. But you know something, Tampa Bay Bucketeer fans
back in nineteen seventy six and saw a winless season
(03:43):
and saw us go to the last two games of
nineteen seventy seven before we won one game and then
the second beat New Orleans and Saint Louis. Those fans
are still with us. They still probably have the same seats,
and they're still just as hot in September as they
were then.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
They are hunter and you see those fans and you
see that's and they're like, look, if you were there
in the beginning, you remember, we live through that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It'll never be worse than that. But that's it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Good things come to those who wait, and we had
to wait a minute, but we finally got it done.
And you're right, this season this has that kind of
buzz when the Bucks started to turn the corner the
last time with so many talents, so much talent. You
got a couple of veterans, you got some young wins,
and you're right, Bucky is just he's that ball of fire.
I cannot wait to see what he's going to unleash
in that backfield this year.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
At the joint practice between Tampa Bay and the Tennessee Titans.
When Bucky would make a big play, you'd hear the
crowd start going Bucky. You could hear from here, I
mean bus. The fans are a way across the way.
They're in the shade. I think they have fans where.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
They are, but they were pop sacles.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
They got the Bucky cheer going, and boy, doesn't that
sound good? That sounds almost as good as the cannon fire, you.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Know it does. And that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
It's just so much fun to be here with this
buzz and all the fans here and both teams and look,
things get a little hot under the collar. These guys
are finally facing a different opponent they haven't seen for
the last three weeks on another team, and then they
get to tee it up in Raymond James Stadium on
Saturday night.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's going to be pretty exciting.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Joint practices are going on all around the league. That
seems to be the thing. Now. Remember we used to
have four preseason games. It's been reduced to three. You
don't see the starters very often, I mean the returning
starters from the year before. And this is good experience
for the players. The coaches love the competition against somebody else.
And oh, by the way, when you have a new
offensive coordinatly Josh berz Are, he gets to call plays
(05:22):
against an opposing defense and not against the defense who,
by the way, as the head coach that knows every
offensive play he's going to run.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And that's the thing. And it's the other thing too.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
As we talked about people talk about the pros and
cons of doing this, it is it's your chance when
you step into that role first to really try some experimentation.
And people get really freaked because they see some players
get blown up or players aren't playing right coverage, and
they're all like, this is where you find tune those things.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah, joint practice and they're going on around the league.
And what Todd Bowles wanted to see was competitiveness. You
want to see a little fire, fire in the eyes.
But he did not want to see any fights. And
I haven't seen one today. I've been looking for him,
but there have been. You know that goes on and
if it's so hot, I mean, you just walk down
the street you want to kick a stone, you know,
I mean, so let alone put you on, you know,
(06:06):
forty pounds worth of or the helmet. I mean there's.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Caps, those Guardian caps. Don't let any air out of
that helmet. You're just like a marshmallow just roasting on
the field right now. It's insane.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I have I could honestly tell you I was a
basketball and a baseball guy. I don't think I helmet.
That was a batty helmet. So I have never in
my lifetime worn a football helmet. I'll promise you they're hot.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I can't find one big enough to fit in my head.
That's my press. That's exactly it. It's all the head.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It's just meet up here.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Jean decker Hoff, the legendary buccaneer voice, back with us
for a fiftieth anniversary celebration.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Year. We cannot wait, Jean, we'll see on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Well the Bay Area blow towards ninety eight. Rock has
got it here. Touchdown Tampa Bay more times this year
than less
Big Rig Buccaneer training camp and a big year this
year because this is fifty years of buccaneer football in
Tampa Bay and a voice that has been here. He
got here to start doing buccaneer football the year before
I came here. So we're both legends in this field now.
Gene Deckerhoff is here. How are you, Jean.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Big I didn't nineteen ninety, I guess you. Gud eighty
nine was my first year and Jose the body of Ventura,
al Keck and I we said to the old Sombrera
and the air condition was very good in the press
box and you could see the field better because it
was on the second floor. And that was the beginning
of my broadcasting career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kinley.
Thirty seven years later, here we go and we're at
(00:39):
the Raymond James Stadium, the best stadium in the NFL
for fans and for broadcasters and for me. You the
best in the league in my opinion, and we begin
year number fifty.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
That's amazing, And it's funny you bring up al Keck
because al Keck was our sports guy back then with
the morning show and everything, and we all had that
tight little circle going on. What's the one thing when
you remember showing up right and you stepped into that
press box for the first time at the Old Sombrero,
what was the first thought that hit your mind? Because
it was pretty rudimentary back then. You have a card
table on a microphone out back.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh no, no, no, And I'll tell you I had
spent three years doing USFL football in the same stadium,
but we were up on the very top the roof.
That's where our broadcast location was.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
There.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
My first thought when I walked into the bucket or
radio network booth, Why golly, I can see the numbers
from here. And I was younger there. That was my
very first thought. I said, I'm glad we're not on
the roof anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And that's crazy because when we went there, we had
a Pink Floyd show there. We had to watch it
from the roof of the press box. And that was
not long before the Old Sombrera would go away, because
just one of the last shows in that building.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, Pink Floyd did wear numbers, though you didn't have
to worry about it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Oh no, we had a giant pink floating over the
field and it was awesome. You couldn't miss that, that's
for sure. So as we get this fiftieth anniversary here,
you've experienced some ups and down, some highs and lows.
Is there a moment when you think about your time
with the Buccaneers in thirty seven years that really stands
out to you as the moment you will never that'll
be like your pinnacle moment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, obviously super Bow thirty seven, the game in San
Diego and we completely wiped out the Oakland Raiders, and
I'll never forget that. And golly what we had four
players off that team in the Hall of Fame. Now
let's see Warren sab Derek Brooks, Rondez Barber, John Lynch
four and then Tony Dungee Hall of Fame. So and
then probably I think we have some more Hall of
(02:19):
Fame players on this present fiftieth anniversary team, including number
thirteen Mike Evans. And I don't sell Baker Mayfield short.
And I can't wait to see number seven and see
how he does in five six, seven years. He started
out the way you got to start if you want
to wear a gold jacket later on in life. But
a bucket, Bucky. But no, this is an exciting time
(02:39):
to be a Buccaneer fan for Big Rig. Four consecutive
NFC South titles. I mean, I remember we struggled and
struggled and struggled and finally won an NFC Central title.
I mean, we didn't think we're ever gonna We couldn't
beat Chicago. Minnesota was tough up there, particularly when they
had Randy Moss and the old Teddy Bridgewater was a
quarterback and by he's not a buccaneer, I'm back talk
(03:00):
an old school. But we couldn't. We could not beat Chicago.
Green Bay was always a thorn on their side. And
this NFC Central, the Black and Blue Division, we could
then all In two thousand and two, the realignment of
the league, we become NFC South. We play Atlanta, Carolina
and New Orleans, and you know that's not easy. People say, well,
it's easy to Bologney. I can use that word on
(03:22):
the radio. Okay, Bologne one of the last ones. Yeah,
one of the few. But every division is tough. Anyway
to win a division is even tougher. But we've done
it four in a row. That's that's a franchise record.
Five consecutive playoff. So it's great being a Bucket your
fan now. But you know something, Tampa Bay Bucketeer fans
back in nineteen seventy six and saw a winless season
(03:43):
and saw us go to the last two games of
nineteen seventy seven before we won one game and then
the second beat New Orleans and Saint Louis. Those fans
are still with us. They still probably have the same seats,
and they're still just as hot in September as they
were then.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
They are hunter and you see those fans and you
see that's and they're like, look, if you were there
in the beginning, you remember, we live through that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It'll never be worse than that. But that's it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Good things come to those who wait, and we had
to wait a minute, but we finally got it done.
And you're right, this season this has that kind of
buzz when the Bucks started to turn the corner the
last time with so many talents, so much talent. You
got a couple of veterans, you got some young wins,
and you're right, Bucky is just he's that ball of fire.
I cannot wait to see what he's going to unleash
in that backfield this year.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
At the joint practice between Tampa Bay and the Tennessee Titans.
When Bucky would make a big play, you'd hear the
crowd start going Bucky. You could hear from here, I
mean bus. The fans are a way across the way.
They're in the shade. I think they have fans where.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
They are, but they were pop sacles.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
They got the Bucky cheer going, and boy, doesn't that
sound good? That sounds almost as good as the cannon fire, you.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Know it does. And that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
It's just so much fun to be here with this
buzz and all the fans here and both teams and look,
things get a little hot under the collar. These guys
are finally facing a different opponent they haven't seen for
the last three weeks on another team, and then they
get to tee it up in Raymond James Stadium on
Saturday night.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's going to be pretty exciting.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Joint practices are going on all around the league. That
seems to be the thing. Now. Remember we used to
have four preseason games. It's been reduced to three. You
don't see the starters very often, I mean the returning
starters from the year before. And this is good experience
for the players. The coaches love the competition against somebody else.
And oh, by the way, when you have a new
offensive coordinatly Josh berz Are, he gets to call plays
(05:22):
against an opposing defense and not against the defense who,
by the way, as the head coach that knows every
offensive play he's going to run.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And that's the thing. And it's the other thing too.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
As we talked about people talk about the pros and
cons of doing this, it is it's your chance when
you step into that role first to really try some experimentation.
And people get really freaked because they see some players
get blown up or players aren't playing right coverage, and
they're all like, this is where you find tune those things.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah, joint practice and they're going on around the league.
And what Todd Bowles wanted to see was competitiveness. You
want to see a little fire, fire in the eyes.
But he did not want to see any fights. And
I haven't seen one today. I've been looking for him,
but there have been. You know that goes on and
if it's so hot, I mean, you just walk down
the street you want to kick a stone, you know,
I mean, so let alone put you on, you know,
(06:06):
forty pounds worth of or the helmet. I mean there's.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Caps, those Guardian caps. Don't let any air out of
that helmet. You're just like a marshmallow just roasting on
the field right now. It's insane.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I have I could honestly tell you I was a
basketball and a baseball guy. I don't think I helmet.
That was a batty helmet. So I have never in
my lifetime worn a football helmet. I'll promise you they're hot.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I can't find one big enough to fit in my head.
That's my press. That's exactly it. It's all the head.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It's just meet up here.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Jean decker Hoff, the legendary buccaneer voice, back with us
for a fiftieth anniversary celebration.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Year. We cannot wait, Jean, we'll see on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Well the Bay Area blow towards ninety eight. Rock has
got it here. Touchdown Tampa Bay more times this year
than less
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