Keith Jackson Cause Of Death: Iconic College Football Broadcaster Dies At 89

A man who many considered the voice of college football passed away Friday night. Keith Jackson, whose voice narrated many of the most iconic moments in American sports for decades, passed away at the age of 89, ESPN reported.

Jackson’s family did not specify a cause of death. Though Jackson called several World Series and Olympics and was the original voice of “Monday Night Football,” he is most widely associated with his work as ABC Sports’s primary college football play-by-play man. ESPN host Bomani Jones summed up Jackson’s appeal as an announcer in a tweet Saturday.

there's that, yes. but there's a folksy charm that's idyllic in college football. and keith jackson was the voice of that. could make the games seem big and small at once, in the best ways of both. https://t.co/5GNzPbOD0x
— El Flaco (@bomani_jones) January 13, 2018

Jackson’s famous catchphrase, “Whoa Nellie!,” trended on Twitter after his death was announced. The iconic broadcaster called college football games from 1966 until his retirement in 2006. His final game was the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC, which decided that year’s national champion. Considered one of the greatest games in the history of the sport, Texas secured a last-second victory when quarterback Vince Young scrambled into the end zone on 4th & 5 in the final minute.

Jackson’s calm demeanor during the dramatic winning play exemplified his broadcasting style.