The Voice
is Stilled
Jack Fleming Dies
at Age 77
Jack Fleming, famed for his dramatic call
of the Immaculate Reception and his colorful descriptions of
Jerry West as a Mountaineer, died January 3, 2001, in Pittsburgh,
Pa. He was 77.
Fleming was best known for his call of Franco Harris's miraculous
touchdown catch in a 1972 Steelers-Raiders playoff game. It has
been described by NFL Films as the most replayed in pro football
history.
"Hold onto your hats, here come the Steelers out of the
huddle," he said. "It's down to one big play, fourth
down and 10 yards to go. Bradshaw's running out of the pocket,
looking for somebody to throw to. . . . He fires it downfield,
and there's a collision! And it's caught out of the air! The
ball is pulled in by Franco Harris! Harris is going for a touchdown
for Pittsburgh!"
Fleming, known as the "Voice of the Mountaineers,"
did WVU football and basketball broadcasts for 42 years.
"His loyalty to West Virginia was such an enjoyment to listen
to," said John D. Lynch, who lived just down the street
from Fleming for 12 years. He expressed himself so beautifully.
We all loved and respected Jack."
The fans did more than return the love and respect. They brought
their loyalty with them to Mountaineer Field.
"Whenever you'd go to the stadium for a game, you would
see a lot of people with portable radios, all listening to him,"
Lynch said. "You could almost do away with the public address
announcer, because you could hear Jack from the radios."
Fans watching televised games at home had another way to show
their loyalty to "The Voice." They'd turn the sound
down on the set and up on the nearest radio and enjoy the game
Fleming-style.
He was the radio voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 28 years
until 1993. He announced four Super Bowls, numerous college bowl
games, the 1960 Rome Olympics, NCAA Final Fours, and even some
of Jerry West's high school state tournament games.
The Morgantown native was frequently called one of the best-ever
basketball play-by-play men by other announcers. Fleming relinquished
his play-by-play duties at WVU in 1997. He was replaced by Tony
Caridi, who announced Fleming's death on January 3 at the end
of WVU's Big East home opener against Georgetown.
"He's been a guy that has meant a lot to West Virginia University
athletics through the years and was a very important person of
our generation," said West Virginia basketball coach Gale
Catlett. "He was great fun to be around. He loved the gold
and blue. He was so dedicated, such a great human being, and
such a great, high-quality announcer."
Don Nehlen, who retired last year as West Virginia's football
coach after 21 seasons, said Fleming's voice was "absolutely
made for radio. You recognized it immediately.
"I came here in 1980 and he was literally 'Mr. Mountaineer,'"
Nehlen said. "He was a great, great announcer for us in
both football and basketball. Everybody in this state identified
with Jack Fleming.
"He was just something so special. He's really going to
be missed. A lot of people identified West Virginia University
athletics with Jack Fleming."
In 1999 Fleming received the Chris Schenkel Award, which honors
distinguished careers in college football broadcasting. He was
elected to the Order of Vandalia in 1995 for exceptional service
to WVU, one of the highest honors given by the University. He
was also a seven-time winner of the West Virginia Sportscaster
of the Year award.