Tampa Bay Buccaneers radio voice Gene Deckerhoff will retire at the end of the 2025 NFL season. Deckerhoff’s voice has echoed through the Sunshine State for 37 seasons, accompanying more than 800 games and more than 1,100 Bucs touchdowns.
Deckerhoff joined the Buccaneers in 1989 and called both of the franchise’s Super Bowl victories. His tenure trails only Philadelphia’s Merrill Reese and Dallas’s Brad Sham among active NFL announcers for longevity. The team announced the news Wednesday, marking the end of an era for Florida sports fans.
Beyond the NFL, Deckerhoff’s broadcasting legacy includes more than four decades as the voice of Florida State University athletics, from 1979 through 2021, and a long career as sports director in Tallahassee television.
He is a 16-time Florida Sportscaster of the Year, a 2000 inductee into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, and a member of the halls of fame for Florida State University Athletics, Florida Community College Activities, and the Florida Association of Broadcasters. He received the Chris Schenkel Award in 2013 for career excellence in play-by-play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer said of Deckerhoff, “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.”
Deckerhoff commented, “Calling Buccaneers games has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career. 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 will miss doing what I love, but now is the right time to step away.”
