June 13, 2024
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Eagles radio broadcaster Merrill Reese (right) with former linebacker Jeremiah Trotter (left) during the team's Hall of Fame induction ceremony at halftime against the Packers back in November 2016.
The longtime and beloved voice of the Eagles is getting acknowledgment from Canton.
On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Merrill Reese will be the 2024 recipient of its Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award for his decades' worth of impact on NFL broadcasting.
Reese, who is heading toward his 48th season as the Eagles' radio play-by-play announcer, will be honored by the Hall of Fame during its enshrinement week in August, all highlighted by its annual induction ceremony at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which will fall on August 3 this year.
“I can’t tell you what this means to me," Reese said via the Hall of Fame when the phone call came in.
But it's an honor more than earned. Any Eagles fan of any age will tell you that.
“Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes an individual who has dedicated their career to improving radio and television in professional football, and this year’s recipient, Merrill Reese, represents exactly what we look for when we talk about who’s made a big impact in broadcasting,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “For nearly a half century, fans tuning into Eagles games, including opposing fans, have had the privilege of hearing Merrill’s legendary voice.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Merrill Reese has been chosen to receive its 2024 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award!
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) June 13, 2024
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A Philadelphia native and an alum of Overbrook High School and Temple University, the 81-year old Reese has been a staple of Eagles Sundays for generations, calling it all each and every week on the WIP airwaves through the numerous eras of Eagles football – from Cunningham to McNabb, Foles, Hurts, and so on – and with a voice unmistakable to anyone listening.
In February 2018, when Tom Brady and the Patriots' last Hail Mary hit the ground, the clock struck zero, and the Eagles had finally won the Super Bowl, Reese iconically exclaimed "Eagles fans everywhere, this is for you!"
But this honor, all for him.
MORE: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. begins path to writing his own story with the Eagles
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