A 40-year veteran broadcaster for ABC Sports, Jackson was the first play-by-play man on Monday Night Football, he called NBA games with Bill Russell and multiple Olympics, most notably Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals in Munich. Despite his many other accomplishments, Jackson will always be remembered for his contributions to college football.
The sound of Jackson’s voice meant it was time to watch the best college football game of the week. It wasn’t New Year’s Day until you heard Jackson open a broadcast with, “The Grandaddy of Them All,” from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It’s only fitting that his final call was Texas’ Rose Bowl National Championship victory over USC in 2006, and the final Rose Bowl the Roopville, Georgia-native got to watch was a captivating come-from-behind victory for the Bulldogs over Oklahoma.