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Oregon’s play-by-play man
the true ‘Voice of the Ducks’
■ Jerry Allen never thought he would be in the broadcast
business, but a call from the right person at an opportune
time in his budding radio career led him to the University
where he became the voice behind it all
By Kyley Johnson
for the Emerald
In March of 1987 Jerry Allen
was at a crossroads in his career.
The Medford radio station
where he had been general man
ager for the past few years was
under new ownership, leaving
Allen looking
to make a ca
reer change.
Except
didn’t
where
would
what
he
know
he
go or
he
would do.
But soon after, he received a
phone call from Bill Byrne, then
the University of Oregon athletic
director, who offered him a job as
the play-by-play announcer for
the Ducks.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Allen
said. “It was a dream come true.”
He recalls the conversation
with a twinkle in his eye and a
smile on his face. After more than
12 successful years as the “Voice
of the Ducks,” Allen still feels as
flattered as he did on that fateful
March day.
“I was in shock,” Allen said. “I
remember hanging up the phone
and sitting back staring off into
space thinking, ‘Did that really
happen? Does he really want
me?”’
It marked the beginning of a
beautiful partnership between the
Ducks and Allen, a devout Christ
ian, family man and the longest
running play-by-play announcer
in Oregon’s history. There is per
haps no person more synony
mous with the Ducks than Allen.
Allen grew up in the small
southern Oregon town of Grants
Pass. He wanted to be an athlete,
but his small 5-foot-ll, 125
pound frame and limited athletic
ability hindered him from becom
ing anything more than a team
manager.
And because sports are a big
thing in a small town like Grants
Pass, Allen just wanted to be a
part of it. Little did he know how
big a role he would eventually
have in Oregon sports.
Ironically, Allen had no desire
or dream of being a radio person
ality. He was randomly offered a
position doing odd jobs in a
record store and as a gopher at
KAGI, a local radio station. Dur
ing his senior year of high school
Allen gained his first on-air expe
rience doing a weather report.
“I was scared to death,” he
said. “My voice was so high I’m
not sure people realized it was
me or a female — but still that
was the biggest thing that had
ever happened in my life. I was
on the radio.”
After a few weeks, Allen calmed
his nerves, got his feet under him
and suddenly became southern
Oregon’s youngest disc jockey. He
worked weekends as a part-time
DJ and was becoming an overnight
celebrity while attending high
school. By the fall after his senior
year, Allen faced a tough decision:
attend college or continue his ca
reer as a disc jockey.
But Allen had found his niche.
It was in radio.
“I didn’t want to give it up,” he
said. “I realized ‘Wow, this could
be what I want to do for the rest of
my life.’”
During the next three years,
Allen commuted from Grants
Pass to Ashland to attend South
ern Oregon State College in pur
suit of a teaching degree. At the
same time, he continued to devel
op his skills at KAGI. Allen
bounced back and forth between
Medford, Grants Pass and Ash
land during the next four years
looking for ways to better himself
and his radio career.
His career titles advanced to in
clude music director, program di
rector and general manager, along
with hosting various morning talk
shows. With each move, Allen
stepped up in salary and position.
Yet despite all of his success, he
didn’t quite feel that he had
reached that long-term goal he
was looking for.
It wasn’t until the early 1970s
when he was transferred back to
Medford to KYJC that Allen
((I couldn't believe it. It
was a dream come true.
Jerry Allen
sports announcer
found his true calling. The station
began broadcasting local Medford
High football games and needed
somebody to do play-by-play
calls.
“Let me try it,” Allen said, re
membering his reaction with a
smile. “It was just kind of a ‘Let’s
see how I can do.’ I just fell in
love with it.”
And listeners fell in love with
him.
Shortly thereafter, Allen caught
the eye of local television station
KOBI, which made him its sports
anchor in 1977. As Allen’s popu
larity spread, he caught the eye of
another director as well, but this
time it was Oregon athletic direc
tor Bill Byrne.
In 1985 they needed someone
to fill in for a few basketball
games because the current Ducks
broadcaster, Hal Ramey, was in
Japan for a bowl game. Allen
made a lasting impression on
Byrne.
“He had a great knowledge of
Oregon sports,” Byrne said in an
August interview published in
the Fighting Ducks Review. “And
I liked his enthusiasm. It was in
fectious.”
Two years later the Ducks were
searching for a new play-by-play
announcer and there was no
question who Byrne wanted for
the job.
“Jerry was the guy we wanted
— and we knew he would do
anything to promote Oregon ath
letics,” Byrne said.
Allen seized the opportunity
with the hope that Eugene would
be the place he would finish out
ALLEN
Hometown: Grafts Pass, Ore.
“The voice of the Ducks'* since
1987
Got his start in radio while still in
high school, doing the weather re
port at KAGi, a local Grants Pass
station.
Attended Southern Oregon State
College, and during that time
worked as a music director, pro
gram director and general manag
er at KAGI.
Began doing sports play-by-play in
the early 70s.
his career. But when he realized
that Oregon had changed play-by
play announcers about every two
years, he became a little worried.
“I’m thinking, ‘What have I got
myself into?”’ Allen said. “They
all told me ‘Keep your bags
packed, you won’t last two years.
They’ll make a change.’”
But it never happened. The
public had embraced Allen with
a love as deep as Jerry's was for
Eugene and the Ducks.
“I can’t think of any other job I
would want to do,” Allen said.
“This is it — [getting hired] was
hitting the jackpot, my biggest
dream come true.”
Jerry Allen’s role in the com
munity is immeasurable. He’s in
volved with countless charity
events, including the Children’s
Miracle Network and helping
fight Muscular dystrophy. Allen
can also be heard giving inspira
tional talks at the Eugene Faith
Center, a local church.
“He really is a blessing to the
life of our community. He con
tributes so much,” said Steve
Overman, Pastor of the Eugene
Faith Center.
What sets Jerry Allen apart
from other announcers is the
emotion in his voice as he calls
each play.
“It’s like you have this friend at
the game sitting beside you and
they’re blind,” Allen said. “They
can hear the noise and the cheer
ing but they can’t see, so I try to
explain to them as simply as I can
exactly what’s going on and with
genuine excitement.”
What is most unique about Jer
ry can’t be learned from any book
or class — it is his passion for the
Ducks.
“I’m genuinely excited because
I’m a Duck,” he said. “I always
have been.”
Others agree.
“His real love for Oregon ath
letics makes him unique, it’s in
fectious,” said Dave Heeke, Uni
versity director of broadcasting.
“He’s just a great person.”
So just how long will Allen re
main the “Voice of the Ducks”?
“We hope Jerry Allen is the
voice of the Ducks for a long, long
time,” said Heeke.