Gene Deckerhoff Talks To Joe
September 13th, 2015
Voice of the Bucs, Gene Deckerhoff, has lofty expectations for the pewter pirates with America’s Quarterback barking signals.
Back in training camp, Joe talked to longtime Buccaneers play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff. He is one of the very few (maybe the only one working; Joe can’t find the answer) who worked the microphone for both a Super Bowl winner and a college football champion.
Deckerhoff, of course, is the voice of the Florida State Seminoles. Joe chatted with Deckerhoff about America’s Quarterback, Bucs rookie signal-caller Jameis Winston, and what made the kid special and the Bucs’ No. 1 overall pick.
JoeBucsFan: How lucky are you? Jameis, in his two years at Florida State, was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football. And now you get to follow him as a pro. How fortunate is it for you?
Gene Deckerhoff: Well, you know, I told Jason Licht after practice that I thought I was back at a Florida State practice. I saw Jameis do this when I was able to watch him practice with the Florida State Seminoles. He was right on the money with his passes. Great arm. A little finesse when he needs to. His enthusiasm in the huddle when he gets together with his offensive teammates, just the way they break [claps hands], I saw that for two years at Florida State and I am delighted to see it continue in the land of the Buccaneers. He sure looks more mature quarterbacking in that Buccaneers uniform than his 21 years. To me. He has the arm that can do just about anything he wants. Whatever the offense needs, he can do it. He seems to move forward. He doesn’t seem to think about bad things. He thinks about positive things. I noticed that at Florida State. He is one of those half-full glass kind of guys. He exudes enthusiasm. He exudes confidence and you can see that on the football field. I don’t know if that translates into a story or not, but to me, that is the real deal. You need that in a quarterback.
Joe: What games sticks out for you for Jameis at Florida State?
Deckerhoff: Well, No. 1, the championship game against Auburn. The last drive with 1:16 to go. It was like it was the first quarter. Nothing bothered Jameis Winston. Nor did it bother his teammates because he had control of that huddle. There was a time in that game where I think he may have gotten a bit down. I saw Jimbo Fisher go back to him when the defense was on the field, and Jimbo went down and kneeled right next to his quarterback who was sitting on the bench and all of a sudden it was like the light came on and from that point on … that final drive, that is the stuff legends are made of. That’s a [John] Elway type of drive. And he did that to win a championship. Joe Montana’s throw for “The Catch” for San Francisco; that was an NFC championship. That is the kind of drive that was.
But I will tell you this: Early in his career, go back to his very first game. You go back to Labor Day, Monday night in Pittsburgh. It’s his first college start. Monday Night Football. Bright lights on the road. He threw two incomplete passes and one was a drop. Almost threw a perfect game which is almost unheard of, from a senior. He was a freshman. You can’t have a better performance in your debut, can you? And Pittsburgh wasn’t a shabby team. They had a guy named “Aaron Donald,” who I think was a first-round pick.
Another game, that first season again. Again on the road. Not playing real well. It was one of those ambush games at Boston College. They always ambush you. They had an open day ahead [off week the Saturday prior]. They didn’t have to play anybody. They didn’t have to show anything. They came out with a different offense and Florida State didn’t know how to stop it. We get down two touchdowns, maybe three. All of a sudden Jameis gets in that huddle and says, “All right guys, we can play better than this. “ And he put on a show. At the end of the half, he threw a Hail Mary that Kenny Shaw caught, made the catch, and the rest is history. They couldn’t stop us.
Those three games: At Pittsburgh, down on the road to Boston College and then the national championship game. I think those were the defining moments in Jameis Winston’s college career.
Joe: If he has just a sniff of the success he had in college here, then he will be a Tampa Bay legend. Folks will never forget him.
Deckerhoff: Well, he has the opportunity. He has great, great teamwork. Charlie Ward said it best. ‘He has the it factor.’ People gravitate to people who are successful and want to be successful. They don’t want to hang out with a guy who is down in the dumps and feels like the end of the world is coming tomorrow. Jameis is the opposite of that. Yeah, I think he has a chance. I have been on radio interviews since the end of his [college days]. We didn’t know where he would be drafted. Every interview I did I was asked, “Well, what do you think of Jameis at the next level?” I said, “Whoever drafts Jameis Winston will play in the Super Bowl. It may not be this year but it will be very soon after he becomes an NFL quarterback. So I am delighted he is the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and I hope I don’t have to eat those words.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:10 am
Way to go Gene. FIRE THOSE CANNONS!
September 13th, 2015 at 8:25 am
They don’t want to hang out with a guy who is down in the dumps and feels like the end of the world is coming tomorrow.
OUCH! I hope some of our posters don’t take that too personally. After all they’re just trying to keep it “real” not get us down in the dumps and view this season as the end of the bucs world.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:30 am
Gene does it best. Even with all the Buc’s losses, he keeps the games interesting.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:37 am
Lol St Pete! Thats exactlly right!
It all starts today, Good or Bad football is back!
It will be great to finally see what we have in this team. Are we more like the Bengals game or Browns game. We finally get to see Jameis and the rest of the starters on the field at the same time! I am so excited I cant take it!
On another note, Florida State did the excact same thing yesterday that they did almost every game last year, stunk it up in the first half and dominated in the second half. Jameis gets a lot of credit for last years second half heroics, which I have fully believed, but now I have to wonder how much of that is natural Jameis and how much of that is the Florida State coaching staff? Maybe a little of both. Those mysteries begin to be uncovered in a bit over 7 hours.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:42 am
I watched the FSU-USF game yesterday. Not sure if the slow first half start was on the Noles or simply a credit to the Bulls. They looked very well prepared and perhaps the Noles took them lightly. Clearly the Noles are the better team but USF seems to be improving. Of course my wife went to USF and it’s a Tampa school so maybe I’m prejudiced.
Only one game but Golson does not appear to be the next Fameis. Then again the Noles don’t need the next Fameis…Dalvin Cook is just sick..is it too early to start thinking Heisman? If the Noles OL can grow and improve Cook is going to be one scary dude for ACC DC’s.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:48 am
FSU… Gag me with a spoon.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:56 am
The Bulls defense did look really good except for stopping Dalvin Cook. If he keeps that up, he will be in the race for the Heisman. 266 yards!!!! That is just crazy.
September 13th, 2015 at 9:42 am
Thanks Gene. That guy calls the best game in football!
September 13th, 2015 at 9:46 am
Gene is a Buccaneer icon and deserves to go into the ring of honor once he is retired. Hopefully that won’t be for a # of years – after Winston and the Bucs have won multiple Super Bowls just like he predicted.
“Touchdown Tampa Bay!!! FIRE THOSE CANNONS”
I will never get tired of hearing Deckerhoff say that. Hopefully he gets to say that a lot this year.
Time to light the NFL world on fire Jameis. GO BUCS!!!
September 13th, 2015 at 10:42 am
Just have never understood the fascination with this guy. He is absolutely the worst play by play I have ever heard. “The ball is caught…(wait for it, wait for it)….no its incomplete!” Always correcting himself, so you never get into a good flow to his call. And I am one that really likes to listen to sports on the radio. But can’t listen to his broadcast. Ah the days of Mark Champion calling games was awesome.
So please with the Ring of Honor crap. Just because the Bucs/WDAE have been to cheap to go get a high end play by play guy. Doesn’t mean he belongs where the greats of the team go. He is mediocre and getting worse every year.
September 13th, 2015 at 10:52 am
“Whoever drafts Jameis Winston will play in the Super Bowl. It may not be this year but it will be very soon after he becomes an NFL quarterback. So I am delighted he is the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and I hope I don’t have to eat those words.”
Way to go Gene, I agree. As I’ve said whoever drafts Winston will be in the SB within 3 years. I’m not wavering from that now that the Bucs drafted him.
3 years Buc fans. Hold on tight it’s going to be a fun rude.
September 13th, 2015 at 10:53 am
Great voice, horrible at painting a picture of the action on the field. Very annoying to listen to.
September 13th, 2015 at 10:56 am
AJ…I agree with a lot of what you said. He’s been driving me nuts for years with his caught…no it’s dropped calls. Having said that, I still love the guy. Love em like a relative. He’s excitement when the Bucs score a TD or win a game is priceless. Just lately he’s been getting kind of excited when the other team scores too. So he is getting worse in that aspect. Like I said I agree with a lot of what you said.
September 13th, 2015 at 11:03 am
StPeteBucsFan…truth be told. Dalvin Cook was the real star of the FSU offense last season. It looks like this season they are just going to let him carry them in every game. 30 touches for 266 yards and 3 TD’s is insane numbers for an FSU rb.
September 13th, 2015 at 11:08 am
He is absolutely the worst play by play I have ever heard.
In another life I did pbp for East Tennessee State. And so I concede that Gene has some “technical” issues. But he has golden pipes and that’s half the battle. And sorry Gator fans but Mick Huber sounds like a freaking girl. I’ve never understood how a guy with such a horrible voice ever got so far even though he is technically proficient. Huber is also a thief…stealing Oh My from a truly great announcer..Dick Enberg. Eli Gold the Crimson Tide announcer doesn’t have a great bass voice but he uses his voice so much better than Huber. Gold used to do a lot of NASCAR as well and I got to know him pretty well in the ’80’s. Truly a nice guy and class act.
And while Deckerhoff may sometimes fumble on the specifics of a given play he is just awesome at conveying the excitement of the game. He’s clearly a homer but I like homers while understanding some prefer dry straight pbp like Al Michaels. But there is of course a difference in a national broadcast and being the local guy.
I LOVE Deckerhoff…another guy who was great was the Tennessee Vols former announcer John Ward. Great voice and great trademark slogan…”give him six!”
September 13th, 2015 at 11:21 am
Deckerhoff is one of the best “homer” football announcers of all time. His enthusiasm and love for the Bucs (and Noles) shines through. He just can’t help himself and gets really excited and conveys that when describing what he sees on the field. Its what I love best about him. If you don’t like his call – then don’t listen. “Simple as that”.
I’m guessing AJ is a Gator….