“And it’s caught out of the air! The ball is pulled in by Franco Harris. Harris is going for a touchdown for Pittsburgh!” 

“The ball hit the turf! The Steelers are headed to Phoenix!”

That first quote was part of the radio call of Jack Fleming as he described what would come to be known as the Immaculate Reception. I’m, of course, talking about the most famous play in the history of the NFL, and it occurred in the final seconds of a divisional-round playoff game against the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in December of 1972.

The second quote was part of the radio call of Bill Hillgrove as he described a Hail Mary pass from Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh on the final play of the 1995 AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium in January of 1996.

Fleming was the Steelers radio play-by-play announcer from 1965-1993, while Hillgrove held that same role from 1994 to 2023.

How long will Rob King hold the title of Steelers radio play-by-play announcer? I ask this because he officially got the job on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

What will his first significant call sound like? Will it give Steelers fans goosebumps? Will King have a signature call that he uses to describe Steelers touchdowns, especially dramatic ones?

How many big Steelers moments will King be on the mic for? Fleming called seven AFC Championship Games and four Super Bowls. Hillgrove did play-by-play for eight AFC title matchups and four Super Bowls.

Will King be bombastic? Will he be more subdued with how he paints the picture for those listening on the Steelers Radio Network? And make no mistake, King will have to paint a picture. That’s the most important part for those listening and not watching.

If his predecessors were any indication, King is going to be the Steelers’ voice for at least a few generations of fans. Even if they’re not listening in real-time, they’re going to rush to the Internet and social media afterward to hear King’s spin on a dramatic moment that occurred during a game.

That’s what I did when I was a kid. I had a Panasonic tape recorder and would wait all week for Inside the NFL to come on. When they played the highlights of the Steelers’ previous game that included the radio play-by-play, I would put the recorder up to the television set because I loved it when Fleming would scream, “Go, baby! Touchdown, Steelers!” I would then listen to his homer calls for days.

I no longer had a tape recorder by the time Hillgrove took over in ’94, but I still got a kick out of how dramatic he was. I loved that he, like Fleming, seemed to care as much as I did about a particular Steelers play or game.

And it was okay that Fleming and Hillgrove were Steelers homers. If there’s ever a time when it’s appropriate for a radio play-by-play announcer to be a homer, it’s when they work for one of the teams on the field.

Even though King has been a sports journalist in Pittsburgh for 25 years, I never thought he’d be the person who would ultimately replace Hillgrove. He just seems so low-key and polished. But he filled in for Hillgrove a few times in recent years, so I know he’s a good play-by-play broadcaster.

Filling in is one thing, but being the full-time voice is another. Who knows how King will grow into the role as Steelers radio play-by-play announcer, but I can’t wait to hear how he does.

I’m just so envious.

Like a lot of kids, I dreamed of doing play-by-play when I was younger, but while I may have a face for radio, I certainly don’t have a voice for it.

King, who may be a little too handsome for radio, gets to be the voice of the Steelers for many years to come.

The radio voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers: I’m sure there are better ways to make a living, but I can’t think of many.

Good luck to Rob King. We’re all looking forward to hearing you describe many dramatic Steelers moments.