---
title: "What It Takes: Sports Announcing"
date: 2024-10-21T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/what-it-takes-sports-announcing"
section: Articles
---
# What It Takes: Sports Announcing

*October 21, 2024* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Alum Who’s Called 750 Games Shares Why He Stays ‘Wildly Hydrated’—and Avoids Funnel Cake

*Portrait Johnson Bob 10152024 RS 2738 1920x1080 — Bob Johnson ’83 announces at a Maryland men's soccer match against George Mason on Oct. 15. The longtime fan has called more than 750 Terps games, from women's basketball to men's lacrosse and softball.*

It’s not quite the voice of God—but when the Terps women’s basketball players stepped onto the court at the Xfinity Center on Sunday to kick off their season against Seton Hill, the Maryland faithful heard a familiar voice from on high.

That booming baritone belongs to longtime fan and public announcer Bob Johnson ’83, who eagle-eyed spectators can spot on the sidelines, calling every play, announcing every foul and pumping up the crowd during timeouts and halftime.

He’s one of a trinity of regular announcers for Maryland Athletics’ 20 teams, along with Matt Noble and Steve Murfin. Johnson primarily announces for men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, softball and gymnastics.

He explains how he went from working in intelligence to becoming a voice of the Terps, why he never eats before a gig and some of the craziest games he’s ever seen.

**UMD to CIA to UMD** I grew up in Adelphi, playing in the woods and hearing the crowds from the football stadium. We had Maryland basketball players come to my elementary school. I’ve held basketball season tickets since I graduated in 1983.

I was at my sister’s wedding as a reader, and the priest came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got to be in radio, aren’t you?’ My family laughed because I was in the intel community, working for the CIA. I started there my junior year, and then went on to a 32-year career, serving in Vienna, Bangkok and Moscow. When I came home in 2001, kicked out by the Russian government, I started thinking of doing something else. Voice acting became a side gig until I retired from the agency 10 years later.

Since then, I’ve [narrated documentaries, e-learning, industrial videos, commercials, and over 100 audiobooks](https://www.rjvoices.com/), all from a little 4-foot-by-4-foot booth in my basement. Voice actors are behind closed doors, talking to ourselves all day. That’s one of the things I like about announcing. It’s nice to get out and actually be with people. When you speak, you hear applause!

I started working for Maryland in 2010. I was sitting in the stands, listening to Mac Barrett, who was the announcer at the time. He’s talking into a mic, and I thought, ‘Maybe I could do this.’ I had announced for some summer baseball leagues at that point. So I emailed (Senior Associate Athletic Director) Carrie Blankenship and asked if she needed any help, and they put me on a Maryland softball tournament.

Now, I’ve done 15 sports, more than 750 games. I’m here 75 to 80 times throughout the school year.


*Sasho Cirovski and Bob Johnson pose with a "700" Johnson jersey — Maryland men's soccer Coach Sasho Cirovski (left) presented Johnson with a commemorative jersey when he announced his 700th game at UMD. (Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics)*




**Topics:** [Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/tags/athletics), [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community), [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people)


**Tags:** [Alumni](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni), [Gymnastics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/gymnastics), [Men's Lacrosse](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mens-lacrosse), [Men's Soccer](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mens-soccer), [Softball](https://today.umd.edu/topic/softball), [Women's Basketball](https://today.umd.edu/topic/womens-basketball), [Women's Soccer](https://today.umd.edu/topic/womens-soccer), [What It Takes](https://today.umd.edu/topic/what-it-takes)


**Units:** [Department of Intercollegiate Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-intercollegiate-athletics)