Cristil’s wrapped it up in maroon and white since 1953
STARKVILLE, Miss. — If you close your eyes and listen carefully, you can hear a little bit of Jack Cristil all across the Magnolia State each fall.
The voice of Mississippi State football has been a constant for better than half a century, so it’s no surprise that there are imitators across the radio dial, calling high school football games from Aberdeen to Yazoo City.
They try to copy Cristil’s simple, even cadence that clearly describes the action and leaves the hyperbole behind.
It’s something the Memphis, Tenn., native has been doing since 1953 in this SEC outpost.
Through 10 football coaches, nine school presidents and eight athletic directors, there has been exactly one voice calling the fortunes, and more often, failures of Bulldogs football.
Ask anyone with an allegiance to Mississippi State about the legendary voice, and they will likely have a story and a smile about the iconic Jacob S. “Jack” Cristil.
espn.com
10/12/07
