Kyle Crooks’ broadcasting dream will officially come true late next month. The new radio play-by-play voice of Nebraska football will make his debut when the Huskers open their season against Cincinnati in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium on Aug. 28. It will be the culmination of a lifelong journey for Crooks, who had previously worked at the University of Florida doing football, men’s basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer broadcasts.
We recently caught up with Crooks, 34, to chat about his new gig. We also spoke to him about following longtime radio play-by-play broadcaster Greg Sharpe, who passed away in February due to pancreatic cancer.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: What does it mean to you to be the radio voice of Huskers football?
Kyle Crooks: “It means everything. I worked for a long time to get to this level in my career, essentially having this dream since I was eight, nine years old of wanting to be a broadcaster. This place means so much to the people in this state and to all the people who went to the university. This is a way of life. I know how much Greg Sharpe, my predecessor, was loved here. They talk about the grace and how humble a guy he was. I’m excited to get started, to learn more about the fan base and history. This is truly a special place, and it’s such a great honor.”
Do you have any connections to Nebraska?
“There’s no connection here to Nebraska. Some could, I guess, label me as an outsider. But it’s the same way in Florida. I was at Florida for eight years, and I had not broadcast in the SEC. I’d done six months or so of minor league baseball in Jacksonville, but I was not a Gator. I didn’t graduate from there. I wasn’t necessarily a part of it. You learn to embrace the community, the school, and the athletics program just by being around it all the time. So, it’s something I’ve experienced before.”
How nervous will you be for the season opener?
“I would presume I’ll be wound pretty tight. It’ll probably take me maybe a quarter, quarter-and-a-half to slow down and take deep breaths. And that’s where your broadcast partners come in. Damon Benning, who’s my color analyst, will give me moments to breathe. Jessica Coody is down on the sidelines, to have her updates (will) give me a moment. You’re going to be ultra-prepared for the game, and you want to be great for everybody at Nebraska. And there’s an inherent pressure when you step into this role, and who you’re stepping in for in Greg Sharpe.”
What kind of challenge will it be to take over for Greg Sharpe?
“That’s probably the hardest part of this job because of what happened and how loved Greg was. He was at the top of his game until the very end. It was such a sudden and tragic loss. I grew up listening to John Sterling for many summers as a Yankees fan growing up in New Jersey. I understand that nostalgic factor. To have that ripped away from the fan base, that constant comfort you get from Greg’s voice and his understanding of the brand, his understanding of the players, the staff, everything, it’s incredibly tough. And then, of course, to a much larger extent, it’s tough for family and everybody who loved to watch him live out his dream. For me, you can’t replace somebody like that. Greg’s name is on the top of that booth, and he’s the voice of the Huskers forever. I feel like I’m renting space in there for however long they’ll have me.”
Did you always want to do play-by-play?
“Originally, I wanted to be the next talk show host on WFAN. I used to listen to Mike and the Mad Dog for all five and a half hours when they were simulcast on the YES Network. I watched The Michael Kay Show every single day. I always had an eye on play-by-play. You have to know everything under the sun when you’re a talk show host, and it stretches you pretty thin.”
When did you fall in love with calling games?
“I went to a community college originally, and then I transferred to a four-year university at William Paterson in New Jersey. It’s the same small school that Kevin Burkhardt went to. I became a sports director there at the college radio station. It was such an incredible feeling to call the games. It was cool to get that opportunity. Then you have that long grind after you graduate. You’re making 25 bucks a game. You have to do other things to supplement (your income) but it just keeps growing and growing, and you start falling in love with the craft. Every year, you continue to get better, so that motivates you even more.”
When you were in Florida, how did you get additional experience calling football games?
“The way I got my football reps in Gainesville is I would take an empty booth or an area on press row that Florida communications would set me up with, and I would call games. I did that just about every home game for the last eight years with an analyst, just to make sure I was getting the reps in when the football games were going on in the fall… This was a way of essentially doing mock broadcasts with an analyst every single week. That led to the College Football Game of the Week for National Sports Network. After you send those tapes out, you get other opportunities to do games.”
How familiar are you with Matt Rhule?
“He’s a New York guy. I’m a New Jersey guy. He called me a couple of days ago. I admire what he did at Temple. I have a friend who is a Temple grad and speaks so highly of him… I met him in person during the interview process. To see how his mind works, he’s always five steps ahead. He’s a tremendous motivator and speaker. I think his track record speaks for itself. He’s a great football coach. He loves it, lives it, breathes it.”
How familiar are you with the Big Ten?
“It feels like every week, College GameDay is either in the SEC or the Big Ten. So you’re watching Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington. You’re watching Nebraska on ESPN or the Big Ten Network. You understand the power of the brand. I watched the Big Ten almost every week. It’s about getting to know the league a little bit more. I’ll be at Big Ten media days later this month. Of course, it’s a different type of league now with expansion. I grew up a Rutgers fan, too. Rutgers hasn’t been in the Big Ten all that long. But you’re following Rutgers football and men’s basketball pretty closely.”
As a Jersey guy, have you found a go-to pizza place in Lincoln yet?
“I have not. I have to get some recommendations. Coach Ruhle said he had some recommendations for bagels and pizza here, so maybe he’s got the hookup. As you know, in the Northeast, that’s what it’s all about. Maybe Nebraska will surprise me a little bit in that regard.”