College Football

Ranking the 10 Best Announcer Calls From 2024 Football Season

“For the second time, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is headed to Philadelphia. Eagles fly in Super Bowl 59!”

Those words uttered by Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt in the final seconds of the Eagles’ 40–22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX officially marked the end of the 2024 football season.

Both the NFL and college football enjoyed action-packed years filled with plenty of memorable moments in the broadcast booth. The $375 million man Tom Brady made his debut for Fox Sports and seemed to improve throughout the year. There were dramatic Hail Mary finishes, questionable coaching decisions, flag-planting controversies and plenty of shocking upsets.

Of course, all of those jaw-dropping plays and head-scratching moments were accompanied with the voices of announcers on television and radio broadcasts informing their audience of what was unfolding on the gridiron.

Before we officially head into offseason mode, it’s time to look back and acknowledge the best moments from the 2024 NFL and college football seasons in the broadcast booth. Let’s get started:

Brady didn’t exactly take the broadcasting world by storm in his first year like Tony Romo did over the CBS airwaves in 2017, but he did have a few highlights alongside Burkhardt. On a critical fourth-and-2 during the Washington Commanders’ 45–31 playoff win over the Lions, Brady spotted 12 men in Detroit’s defensive huddle seemingly before anyone else.

Moments later, the Lions were called for a too-many-men penalty, handing the Commanders a fresh set of downs from the 2-yard line. Washington scored a touchdown two plays later for a 10-point lead, and Detroit never climbed back within one possession for the rest of the game.

In an overall underwhelming season for Brady in the booth, this was perhaps his best moment.

Cam Skattebo made a name for himself in the Big 12 championship, rushing for 170 yards and scoring three total touchdowns in Arizona State’s 45–19 blowout win over Iowa State. And following his first touchdown of the game—a three-yard plunge in the first quarter—ESPN’s Jesse Palmer had some fun with his name.

“Skatteboo-hoo,” Palmer said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Adam Sandler’s iconic character from Billy Madison (and a handful of his other 1990s classics, for that matter).

Perhaps this tribute earned Palmer a role in Sandler’s upcoming Happy Gilmore 2 movie.

Of course, this list would not be complete without one for the Swifties.

Taylor Swift’s presence on NFL broadcasts in 2024 took a noticeable dip from ’23, which was her first season rooting on boyfriend Travis Kelce. On Nov. 10, Swift was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Kelce catch his 77th career touchdown pass—one that placed him atop the Chiefs’ all-time leaderboard in receiving touchdowns.

When the camera panned to Swift cheering from her suite, CBS play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan dropped a line to meet the moment: “That will give you something to sing about!”

One of the best traits of Al Michaels’s style in the booth is he always calls the game for what it is—no matter how ugly it gets. And he makes a habit of speaking up for the fans watching at home.

That’s exactly what he did during the first half of Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 26. There were 12 total penalties called in the first half—and nine on the Cowboys alone.

“It looks like June 14th here, otherwise known as Flag Day, as you know,” Michaels said to partner Kirk Herbstreit with a dose of his classic dry humor. “Clay Martin looks like a referee out of Central Casting.”

In terms of pure play-by-play calls, there might not be a more creative announcer out there than Harlan.

On the microphone for the Baltimore Ravens’ 41–38 overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5, Harlan was astounded when quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled a snap, ran 20 yards backwards and tossed a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely late in the fourth quarter.

During a chaotic play that lasted about 11 seconds, Harlan described the action in front of him with terms like “scoops it in,” “vacuums it home” and “threw him away like a rag doll.” Incredible play, incredible call.

It appeared like quarterback Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes were headed for a disappointing 2–2 start—until magic struck on the final play of regulation.

Sanders threw a 43-yard prayer into the end zone to LaJohntay Wester, who made a sliding catch for a game-tying touchdown. Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Connor Onion perfectly met the moment by referencing Colorado’s “Miracle at Michigan” when Kordell Stewart threw a Hail Mary to Michael Westbrook for a walk-off 64-yard touchdown to defeat the No. 4-ranked Wolverines back in 1994.

The Buffaloes went on to beat Baylor 38–31 in overtime. And Onion’s call lives on forever: “Caught by Wester! Just like 1994!”

Longtime Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson is renowned for his unmatched energy and witty quips during games. But sometimes the game gets so nutty that even he can’t contain himself.

During Michigan’s stunning 13–10 upset of the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, a fourth-quarter drive by the Wolverines was halted by an interception by senior defensive end Jack Sawyer at the goal line. What followed was an all-time voice crack by Johnson, who couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

From his iconic “No!” call of the Vikings getting eliminated on the final play of the 2003 regular season to his call of Brett Favre’s devastating interception in the 2009 NFC championship game, radio play-by-play announcer Paul Allen has been the voice of Minnesota Vikings heartbreak for decades.

He was on the microphone for another unfortunate moment during the Vikings’ discouraging 27–9 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Representing the voice of the fan base yet again, Allen exclaimed his frustration with quarterback Sam Darnold taking another avoidable sack late in the second quarter.

“He’s holding it too long!” Allen said to analyst Pete Bercich. “Throw it, man!”

Darnold went on to get sacked nine times for a loss of 82 yards—an NFL playoff record. Oof.

Every once in a while, a play happens that is just so absurd it’s better to throw everything taught at broadcasting school out the window and just yell into a microphone instead.

That’s exactly what happened on BIG 100’s call of the most exciting play of Jayden Daniels’s spectacular rookie season. With two seconds remaining and the Commanders trailing by three points, Daniels heaved a Hail Mary pass into the end zone that ended up into the arms of receiver Noah Brown for a 52-yard touchdown, stunning the Chicago Bears 18–15 in Week 8.

Play-by-play announcer Bram Weinstein and analyst London Fletcher reacted appropriately on the home radio broadcast.

On the flip side, Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer’s call on Chicago’s radio broadcast was equally brilliant—just slightly more depressing.

This call by Fox Sports’ Eric Collins was an instant classic.

Late in the first half of a Big Ten bout between Maryland and USC, the Terrapins opted to run another play from the Trojans’ 27-yard line instead of clocking the ball and attempting a field goal before halftime.

Collins pleaded with Maryland to spike the ball, but instead, the ensuing snap flew through the hands of quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and was recovered by USC’s Solomon Tuliaupupu for a turnover.

“Oh no! Disaster!” Collins exclaimed. “What a bad idea! Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness!”

Fortunately for the Terrapins, USC had a “disaster” of a second half, and Maryland stole a 29–28 win at SECU Stadium. And fortunately for Collins, his call will live on through memes for years to come.

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