Announcer Alterations #15: The Late Lyle Bremser, Nebraska Cornhuskers

Part of becoming a great broadcaster is having a great vocabulary and finding ways to vary your verbiage. That is why a regular feature on this site will be “Announcer Alterations” where we take short clips of pre-existing play-by-play synced to video and come up with five different ways to call the same sequence of events.

If you haven’t figured it out yet I’m a big time Nebraska fan. That’s why for this announcer alteration I picked the call of the legendary Lyle Bremser who called Husker games from 1939-1984. Today I’m altering his classic call of Johnny Rodgers’ punt return in the “Game of the Century” vs Oklahoma in 1971.

Original Verbiage:

Rodgers deep for Nebraska, here’s Wiley’s kick, it’s high. It holds up there. Rodgers takes the ball at the 30. He’s hit and got away! Back upfield at the 35. At the 40, he’s to the 45. He’s to the 50, the 45! To the 40. To the 35. TO THE TWENTY, TO THE TEN, HE’S ALL THE WAY HOME! Holy Moley! Man, woman, and child did that put em in the aisles! Johnny the Jet Rodgers, just tore em loose from their shoes!

And Five Ways To Alter The Call

Rodgers waiting for the kick at the 30. Wiley with a booming boot. Rodgers catches it in traffic near the numbers left side. Jumps back and takes off down the middle. He’s got room! Breaks an ankle tackle at the 40. Across midfield! Weaves towards the sideline to the 40! Picks up a monster block! To the 20, the ten! RED RUM RED RUM! Oklahoma is on life support! Johnny the Jet Rodger leaves contrails on his way to the end zone!

Rodgers standing on an Island on the 30. Wiley kicks it high and defies gravity with hang time. Rodgers plucks the pig at the left side 30. Stops on a dime and makes a U turn. He’s got room down the center aisle! High steps over an ankle tackle at the 40! The 50. Merges to the fast lane on the left sideline! Across the 40! Boom, a violent block AND HE’S GONE! Johnny the Jet Rodgers is flying home first class!

Back to procure the punt is Rodgers for Nebraska. Wiley blasts it off the boot high in the air. Rodgers on the left side pulls it in at the 30 in a crowd. Jukes back and boomerangs down main street. Eludes the ankle tackle at the 40. The Jet is loose across midfield. Angles towards the left sideline. The 45, the 40. Get’s a block out of nowhere at the 35! THE 20, THE 10, put your seats and tray tables up, Johnny the Jet Rodgers is cleared for takeoff.

Rodgers back to collect the kick at the 30. Swings the right leg and propels the pigskin high toward Rodgers. Cradles it at the 30. He’s surrounded and throws it in reverse. Accelerates down the center. Steps over an ankle tackle at the 40. Midfield. Slithers across the numbers toward the left sideline. The 40. Gets one more block and springs free. Nobody’s going to catch the Jet. The end is coming sooner rather than later for Oklahoma.

Rodgers back at the 30 to receive the punt from Wiley. Reels it in and dashes backwards away from trouble. Winds his way through trouble to the 40. Blows through an ankle tackle. Across the 50. Gets free to the left sideline. Needs a block…gets it at the 35! The 20, the 10. MARK SIX TALLIES ON YOUR SCORE AnnounceSHEET! Johnny the Jet Rodgers has just made a historic play in the game of the century!