Editing Keith Jackson (section)

==Biography==

===Early life===
A farmer's son,<ref name="THR"/> Jackson was born in [[Roopville, Georgia]] and grew up on a farm outside [[Carrollton, Georgia|Carrollton]], near the [[Alabama]] state line.<ref name=TSN082195>{{cite news
 |first=Jerry 
 |last=Crowe 
 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n34_v219/ai_17187431 
 |title=Big man on campus – sportscaster Keith Jackson 
 |work=The Sporting News 
 |date=August 21, 1995 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616041917/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n34_v219/ai_17187431/ 
 |archive-date=June 16, 2011 
}}</ref> He was the only surviving child in a poor family and grew up listening to sports on the radio.<ref name=TSN082195/> After enlisting and serving as a mechanic<ref name="THR"/> in the [[United States Marine Corps]], he attended [[Washington State University]] in [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] under the [[G.I. Bill]].<ref name=ASO>{{cite news
|url=http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/jackson.html |access-date=August 20, 2007 |title=1994 Hall of Fame Inductee: Keith Jackson |publisher=American Sportscasters Association}}</ref> Jackson began as a [[political science]] major, but he became interested in broadcasting.<ref name=AP010599>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/1998/bowls/fiesta/news/1999/01/04/jackson_washington/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010627025104/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/1998/bowls/fiesta/news/1999/01/04/jackson_washington/
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=June 27, 2001
|title=God bless and good night |agency=Associated Press |work=CNN Sports Illustrated|date=January 5, 1999
| access-date=May 7, 2010}}</ref> He graduated in 1954 with a degree in speech communications.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Craig |last=Murphy |url=http://wsm.wsu.edu/stories/2004/May/busek.html |title=Antique Dealer Can't Ignore a Bargain
|journal=Washington State Magazine |date=May 2004}}</ref>

===Broadcast career===
Though best known for his college football broadcasts, Jackson announced numerous other sports for ABC throughout his career, including [[Major League Baseball on ABC|Major League Baseball]], [[NBA on ABC|NBA basketball]], [[boxing]], [[auto racing]], [[PGA Tour on ABC|PGA Tour golf]], the [[United States Football League on ABC|USFL]], and the [[Olympics on ABC|Olympic Games]]. He briefly worked [[College Basketball on ABC|college basketball]] with [[Dick Vitale]].<ref name=ST042806>Steve Kelley, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2002958116_kell28.html His voice is now ghost of Saturdays past], ''The Seattle Times'', April 28, 2006.</ref> Jackson also served as the pregame, halftime, and postgame anchor for ABC's coverage of [[Super Bowl XXII]] in 1988. During his on-air tenure, he is credited with nicknaming the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]] as "The Grandaddy of Them All" and [[Michigan Stadium]] as "The Big House".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigten.org/genrel/030410aaa.html|title='Big Ten Icons' to Count Down Conference's All-Time Top 50 Student-Athletes: Iconic broadcaster Keith Jackson to host the series launching this fall|access-date=March 27, 2010|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|date=March 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029190235/http://www.bigten.org/genrel/030410aaa.html|archive-date=October 29, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

====Early assignments====
Jackson began his career as a broadcaster in 1952, when he called a game between [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]] and [[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State]] on the Tidewater Associated Oil Co. radio network. He then worked for [[KNWN (AM)|KOMO radio]] in [[Seattle]], and later for [[KOMO-TV]] from 1954 to 1964 as co-anchor for their first news team (first co-anchor news team on the West Coast) covering [[Seafair]] [[H1 Unlimited|hydroplane races]], [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] [[Seattle Rainiers]] baseball games, and [[Washington Huskies football|University of Washington]] [[College football|football]] games. In 1958, Jackson became the first American sports announcer to broadcast an event from the [[Soviet Union]], a [[Rowing (sport)|crew]] race between the [[Washington Huskies#Rowing|Washington Huskies]] and a Soviet team.<ref name=TDC110897>Andrew Krebs, [http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1997/11/11-08-97cm/11-08-97m03-016.asp Wide world of Jackson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226130408/http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1997/11/11-08-97cm/11-08-97m03-016.asp |date=December 26, 2007 }}, ''The Daily Collegian'', November 8, 1997.</ref> Despite heavy suspicion and numerous hurdles by the Soviet authorities, Jackson and his cohorts were able to cover the race: the first ever American sports victory on Russian soil.<ref name=KOMO>[http://www.komotv.com/news/local/4529451.html Howard Ramaley, 1922-2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927020541/http://www.komotv.com/news/local/4529451.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}, KOMO-TV, October 31, 2007.</ref>

Jackson became a radio news correspondent for [[ABC News Radio]] and sports director of ABC Radio West in 1964 before joining ABC Sports in 1966.<ref name="TSN082195" /> He helped [[Walter Cronkite]] cover the [[1964 Republican National Convention]] in [[San Francisco]].<ref name="TDC110897"/>

====Professional football====
In the early 1960s, Jackson covered [[American Football League on ABC|American Football League]] games.<ref name=TSN082195/> In [[1970 NFL season|1970]], he was chosen to be the first play-by-play announcer on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' covering the [[National Football League|NFL]], but he remained in that capacity only for the program's first season.<ref name="TSN082195"/> [[Frank Gifford]] was ABC's initial target, but could not get out of his [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] contract until after the 1970 season. In [[1971 NFL season|1971]], however, Gifford landed the job. Jackson found out that he had been taken off the ''Monday Night'' package from 38 messages, not from [[Roone Arledge]] himself. This incident led to some contention between Jackson and the brass at ABC.<ref name="Sports Illustrated">{{cite news|url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065699/2/index.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102053744/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065699/2/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |work=CNN |title=Video |date=February 9, 1987 |access-date=May 7, 2010 }}</ref> With Gifford's death in August 2015, Jackson became the last surviving member of the broadcast teams that called ''MNF'' games from the early 1970s.

Jackson was the lead play-by-play announcer for the [[United States Football League]] broadcasts on [[United States Football League on television|ABC]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://classicsportsmedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/opening-day-of-usfl-on-abc-in-1983.html |title=Opening day of the USFL on ABC in 1983 |date=March 6, 2013 |work=Classic Sports TV and Media |access-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> from [[1983 USFL season|1983]] to [[1985 USFL season|1985]]. He was paired with [[Lynn Swann]] and [[Tim Brant]]. He called all three championship games in the league's short history.

As previously mentioned, for ABC's broadcast of [[Super Bowl XXII]] at the end of the [[1987 NFL season|1987 season]], Jackson served as the host for the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage.

====Olympic Games====
Jackson was involved in the [[ABC Olympic broadcasts|ABC coverage]] of the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] and continued to contribute even when [[Munich Massacre|an attack by Palestinian terrorists]] transformed the coverage from that of a typical sporting event to a greater international and historical news event.<ref name=NSSAHOF>[http://www.nssahalloffame.com/34/index.aspx NSSA Hall Of Fame: 1986-1995 Inductees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811082326/http://www.nssahalloffame.com/34/index.aspx |date=August 11, 2007 }}, National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref> In all, he covered a total of 10 [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer]] and [[Winter Olympic]] Games.<ref name="TDC110897"/> Jackson covered [[swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics]] and [[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics|track and field]] at the [[1976 Summer Olympics]]. He covered [[Speed skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics|speed-skating]] during the [[1980 Winter Olympics]] featuring [[Eric Heiden]]. He was offered the position of play-by-play for [[Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics|hockey]], but turned it down (the position ultimately went to [[Al Michaels]]). Jackson called speed skating and ski jumping at the [[1984 Winter Olympics]]. He covered [[Basketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics|basketball]] in [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984]]. He was the weekend afternoon host for ABC's final Olympics in [[1988 Winter Olympics|1988]] from [[Calgary]].<ref name="Sports Illustrated"/>

====NBA====
He was [[NBA on ABC|ABC]]'s lead basketball play-by-play announcer (succeeding [[Chris Schenkel]] in the role) with legendary NBA player [[Bill Russell]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Bill Russell Show|date=January 9, 1973|first=Charles|last=Maher|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=D1}}</ref> for two years<ref name="Sports Illustrated"/> ([[1971–72 NBA season|1971]]-[[1972–73 NBA season|1973]]) until ABC lost the NBA broadcasting rights to [[NBA on CBS|CBS]] following the conclusion of the [[1973 NBA Finals|1973 Finals]].

====''Wide World of Sports''====
Jackson was a regular part of ABC's popular ''[[Wide World of Sports (US TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]'' (''WWOS''), covering both popular sports and obscure events like wrist wrestling.<ref name=AP010599/> For ''WWOS'' he covered [[Evel Knievel]]'s successful jump at [[Exhibition Stadium]], in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], Canada, on August 20, 1974;<ref name=TVEvel>[http://www.tv.com/classic-wide-world-of-sports/show/35305/summary.html Classic Wide World of Sports Episode 25], TV.com, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref> He also handled ''WWOS''' first coverage of boxer [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] at the North American Continental Boxing Championships on July 26, 1975, who Jackson called a young boxer to watch.<ref name=ABC70s>[https://archive.today/20130103141443/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/wwos/milestones/1970s.html Wide World of Sports Highlights -- 1970s], ABC Sports Online, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref>  He teamed with [[Jackie Stewart]] and [[Chris Economaki]] in (''WWOS'') coverage of auto racing; among the notable events covered by Jackson was the 1974 [[Firecracker 400]] at [[Daytona International Speedway]]<ref>{{cite web|title=1974 Firecracker 400 28 min|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXKvqgxWCXs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/nXKvqgxWCXs| archive-date=2021-11-07 | url-status=live|website=Youtube| date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and the [[1975 Indianapolis 500]].<ref name="Star05-21-1975">{{cite news|title=Keith Jackson In In Training fort ABC-TV's '500' Coverage|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16555991/1975_indy_500_tv_keith_jackson/|first=Julia|last=Inman|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=17|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 21, 1975|access-date=January 15, 2018}}{{Open access}}</ref> In the mid-1970s, Jackson also broadcast the [[United States Grand Prix]] motocross races from [[Carlsbad, California]].

====Major League Baseball====
In [[Major League Baseball on ABC|baseball]], he alongside former Mets, Phillies, Yankees, and Cardinals broadcaster [[Tim McCarver]] called the famous 16-inning sixth game of the [[1986 National League Championship Series]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Simon|first=Mark|date=July 2, 2003|title=MLB - Living Legends: Keith Jackson|url=http://a.espncdn.com/mlb/s/2003/0629/1574355.html|work=ESPN.com|location= |access-date=}}</ref> between the [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] and [[1986 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]]. That turned out to be the final Major League Baseball game that Jackson would broadcast. Jackson had previously broadcast ABC's coverage of the [[1977 World Series|1977]], [[1979 World Series|1979]] and [[1981 World Series]] (Jackson split play-by-play duties with [[Al Michaels]] for the latter two with Jackson calling the games at the [[American League]] site), the [[1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1978]], [[1980 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1980]], and [[1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1982 All-Star Game]] (again, sharing play-by-play duties with Al Michaels for the latter two), the [[1980 National League Championship Series]], the [[1976 American League Championship Series|1976]], [[1978 American League Championship Series|1978]] and [[1982 American League Championship Series]], the [[1981 American League Division Series]] between the [[1981 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] and [[1981 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]], and the [[1978 American League East tie-breaker game]] between the [[1978 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] and [[1978 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] alongside [[Don Drysdale]]. He also called various ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]'' and other regular-season games for ABC throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name="mlb.com" />

Jackson's lead role on ABC's [[College Football on ABC|college football]] coverage occasionally interfered with his postseason baseball commitments.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://classicsportsmedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/keith-jackson-and-abc-conflicts-with.html |title=Keith Jackson and ABC conflicts with college FB and MLB playoffs (1976-1986) |date=October 10, 2012 |work=Classic Sports TV & Media |access-date=October 11, 2012}}</ref> For instance, he was unavailable to call Game 1 of the 1976 ALCS because he had just finished calling an [[Red River Showdown|Oklahoma vs. Texas]] [[college football]] game for ABC. Thus, [[Bob Uecker]] filled in for Jackson for Game 1. In 1978, Jackson called another Oklahoma-Texas football game for ABC on the afternoon of October 7, then flew to New York, arriving just in time to call Game 4 of the [[1978 American League Championship Series]] that same night. On October 11, 1980, Jackson once again called an Oklahoma-Texas football game for ABC in the afternoon, then flew to Houston to call Game 4 of the [[1980 National League Championship Series]]. In the meantime, Drysdale filled in for him on play-by-play for the early innings. On October 10, 1981, he called another Oklahoma v. Texas [[college football]] game for [[College Football on ABC|ABC]] and missed Game 4 of the Milwaukee-New York series. Again, Don Drysdale filled-in for him on play-by-play in his absence alongside color commentator [[Howard Cosell]].<ref name=":0" />

====College basketball====
Starting in [[1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1987]], he was ABC's lead [[List of ESPN College Basketball on ABC personalities|play-by-play announcer]] for [[ESPN College Basketball on ABC|college basketball]], teaming with analyst [[Dick Vitale]]. This partnership lasted until [[1991–92 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1992]].<ref name="Sports Illustrated"/>

====College football====
For all his success, he received the most acclaim for his coverage of [[College Football on ABC|college football]]. He genuinely enjoyed the sport and the purity of it.<ref name="Sports Illustrated"/> Jackson began announcing college football when television play-by-play announcers did not always have regular analysts.<ref name="wsu20130927">For example, he covers a 1958 game by himself. {{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou44_2L7NhE |title=Stanford vs. Washington State College w/audio, 1958 |date=September 27, 2013 |last=Washington State University Libraries' Films |publisher=YouTube |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> He would only once miss working a college season in his over 50 years (when he served as play-by-play announcer during the inaugural season of ''Monday Night Football''), beginning in 1952.<ref name="TSN082195"/>  Jackson was joined in the booth by [[Joe Paterno]] for the [[Michigan–Ohio State rivalry#"The Ten-Year War" and Earle Bruce era (1969&ndash;1987)|1974 Michigan-Ohio State game]] in [[Ohio Stadium|Columbus]], while [[Woody Hayes]] accompanied him for the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries#USC|1974 Notre Dame-USC game]].<ref>Broadcast clip, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCwClCMAkkY</ref>
In his many years covering college football, Jackson was paired with a wide variety of color commentators, including [[Jackie Jensen]] (1966&ndash;1968), [[Lee Grosscup]] (1972&ndash;1973), [[Bud Wilkinson]] (1969&ndash;1975), [[Ara Parseghian]] (1975&ndash;1980), [[Frank Broyles]] (1978&ndash;1985), [[Lynn Swann]] (1984&ndash;1985), [[Tim Brant]] (1986, 2000&ndash;2002), [[Bob Griese]] (1987&ndash;1999), and [[Dan Fouts]] (2002&ndash;2005). Jackson called 16 [[Sugar Bowl]]s and 15 [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]]s during his time at ABC.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stephenson|first1=Creg|title=Legendary college football announcer Keith Jackson dead at 89|url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/01/legendary_sportscaster_keith_j.html|website=AL.com|date=January 13, 2018 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

For many years, he was assigned by ABC to the primary national game of the week. His quirky expressions such as ''"Whoa, Nellie!"'', ''"Fum-BLE!"'' and ''"Hold the phonnnnne!"'' (following a penalty flag) are often the subject of comedic imitation. Though he greatly popularized it, Jackson notes that he learned the term ''"Whoa, Nellie"'' from earlier television announcer [[Dick Lane (TV announcer)|Dick Lane]].<ref name="TDC110897"/>  He has often referred to offensive and defensive line players as the ''Big Uglies'', or to an individual by saying ''"That guy...is a hoss"'' (horse). Jackson is also credited with coining the nickname for [[Michigan Stadium]], ''The Big House.''<ref name=TMD110998>Sharat Raju, [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1998/nov/11-09-98/sports/sports8.html One year later, Taylor still contributing to Wolverines] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824162929/http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1998/nov/11-09-98/sports/sports8.html |date=August 24, 2007 }}, ''The Michigan Daily'', November 9, 1998.</ref> In the season before his first retirement, during what was thought to be his final game at The Big House, the [[Michigan Marching Band]]'s halftime show concluded by spelling out "Thanks Keith" across the field. The 111,019 fans turned toward the press box, stood up and cheered for the commentator. As a part of the halftime event former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler presented Jackson with a jersey with "The Big House" across the front and a Michigan football helmet.<ref name="TMD110998"/>

During the mid-'80s, he began falling out of favor with ABC executives due to the rise of stars such as [[Al Michaels]] and [[Jim Lampley]]. Jackson's contract expired after the [[1986 Sugar Bowl]]. He had a 3-month "retirement" until new ABC Sports President Dennis Swanson personally offered him a 3-year contract, which he accepted.<ref name="Sports Illustrated"/>

In the 1990s, Jackson recorded videos for the centennial of the [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama Crimson Tide]]. In [[2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2006]], Jackson introduced the [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska Cornhuskers]]' "Tunnel Walk" video on the stadium "HuskerVision" screens. This video played before every home game at Memorial Stadium in the 2006 season. It was also used for one home game in 2007, against Texas A&M. On September 26, 2009, for the 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium, Jackson again provided a video tribute to the fans of Nebraska.<ref name="owh" />

Jackson's connections to the University of Nebraska remain strong. It was Jackson himself that the university contacted when designing its new press box facility—Jackson's advice included a recommendation that it include a separate restroom inside the broadcast booth, as few if any broadcast booths had any suitable restroom facilities. When Jackson broadcast the Nebraska-California game the following season (the debut of the Cornhuskers' new pressbox), he found a restroom in the booth with a sign reading "The Keith Jackson Memorial Bippy." The sign was a joke from Jackson's longtime friend, Nebraska sports information director Don Bryant. The name stuck, and a permanent plaque was put up next to the restroom door that reads "The Keith Jackson Toilet Facility – Dedicated Sept 11, 1999".<ref name="owh">{{cite news|title=Legendary announcer Keith Jackson held Nebraska football fans in high regard|url=http://www.omaha.com/huskers/football/legendary-announcer-keith-jackson-held-nebraska-football-fans-in-high/article_320b864c-f8a9-11e7-a976-e79881df5933.html|access-date=January 14, 2018|work=Omaha World-Herald|date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

Jackson would call the [[1972 USC Trojans football team]] the greatest team he ever saw.<ref name=Cook080107>Beano Cook, [http://static.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/cook_beano/1413028.html All-time top 25: '47 Irish were greatest], ESPN.com, August 1, 2007.</ref> Jackson, who was in his first year in ABC football broadcasting narrating the taped highlights of the [[1967 USC vs. UCLA football game]], declared it many years later to be the greatest game he has ever seen.<ref>[http://www.coachoftheyear.com/award-tv.aspx Coach of the Year (2007) – hosted by Keith Jackson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130202939/http://www.coachoftheyear.com/award-tv.aspx |date=November 30, 2006 }} "Keith Jackson has been broadcasting college football since 1952 and has reported games like the "Game of the Century" between UCLA and Southern Cal in 1967."</ref>

Jackson's career was not free of incidents. During the [[1978 Gator Bowl]], Jackson missed [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]] Head Coach Woody Hayes' infamous punch of [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] defensive lineman Charlie Bauman. Bauman had intercepted a pass and was pushed out of bounds on the Ohio State sidelines, and a frustrated Hayes threw a forearm at Bauman's throat. Jackson (and color commentator [[Ara Parseghian]]) failed to see or comment on Hayes' actions, which had been captured from a different vantage point on camera. No replay of the actual incident was available in the booth during the telecast, as the television crew was working with limited replay capability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1095432/index.htm|title=No Armageddon Bowls For Him, Sports Illustrated, 1979|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718080427/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1095432/index.htm|archive-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref> In addition to this, no sideline reporter was available to provide information on the cause of the unsportsmanlike penalties that occurred as a result.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-29-sp-woody29-story.html|title=Simple Fist of Fate|first=Chris|last=Dufresne|date=December 29, 2003|via=LA Times}}</ref> This led to accusations that Jackson was protecting Hayes, who was later fired for the incident.<ref name="TSN082195"/>

====Retirement====
Approaching his 70th birthday, Jackson announced his first retirement from college football at the end of the [[1998 NCAA Division I-A football season|1998 season]] and his intention to live full-time at his home in California. Choosing the first [[BCS National Championship Game]] as his last broadcast, Jackson called the 1999 National Championship at the [[1999 Fiesta Bowl|Fiesta Bowl]] between [[1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] and [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]]. He concluded the program by stating "Tennessee 23, Florida State 16. And so it is done. I say goodbye to all of you. God bless and good night."<ref name=AP010599/>

Jackson rescinded his decision the following fall and began to do a more limited schedule of games,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvsports.com/2015/12/history-of-1-play-by-play-announcer.html|title=History of #1 play-by-play announcer demotions|last=Haggar|first=Jeff|date=December 22, 2015|website=Classic TV Sports}}</ref> teamed with [[Dan Fouts]], Tim Brant, and later Fouts again, almost exclusively sticking to venues on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]], closer to his home in [[California]]. Two notable exceptions were the [[2003 NCAA Division I-A football season|2003]] [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|Michigan–Ohio State]] and the 2005 [[Red River Rivalry|Oklahoma vs. Texas football game]]. Each was the 100th meeting between the two archrivals. He strongly hinted that he was interested in retiring for good after the [[2005 NCAA Division I-A football season|2005 season]], telling ''[[The New York Times]]'' that he was feeling his age after 53 seasons and had become upset at the increased number of mistakes in his play calling in the last few years.<ref name=NYT>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/sports/ncaafootball/21keith.html?ex=1187755200&en=69003fd13dd9b765&ei=5070 Keith Jackson Mulls Retirement From ABC Sports], ''The New York Times'', March 21, 2006.</ref>  ABC tried convincing Jackson to stay, but his decision was firm.<ref name=TSN042606>[http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?p=651192 Broadcaster Keith Jackson set to retire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001095320/http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?p=651192 |date=October 1, 2007 }}, ''The Sporting News'', April 27, 2006.</ref> He officially announced his retirement on April 27, 2006, noting he did not want to "die in a stadium parking lot."<ref name="ST042806"/> His last game call was the [[2006 Rose Bowl]] featuring [[2005 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]] vs. [[2005 USC Trojans football team|Southern California]] in the [[BCS National Championship Game]]. The game was the last college football game shown on ABC under the "ABC Sports" brand, as ABC Sports was integrated with ESPN the following summer and is now known as [[ESPN on ABC]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sandomir|first1=Richard|title=ABC Sports Is Dead at 45; Stand by for ESPN|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/11/sports/othersports/11sandomir.html|access-date=January 14, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=August 11, 2006}}</ref>

====''Big Ten Icons''====
In March 2010, the [[Big Ten Conference]] announced that Jackson would host a 20-episode series called ''[[Big Ten Icons]]'' for the [[Big Ten Network]] which would highlight what the Big Ten Conference considers the league's top 50 student-athletes.  The series was presented countdown style, and the top Big Ten student athlete was revealed during a program broadcast during the 2011 [[Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament|Big Ten Basketball tournament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/inside_big_ten_icons/4152630|title=This article is unavailable|website=www.yardbarker.com}} {{Dead link|date=August 2019}}</ref>

===Awards and honors===
In 1999, the [[National Football Foundation]] awarded Jackson the Gold Medal Award, its highest honor.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120730193030/http://www.footballfoundation.com/goldformer.php Past Gold Medal Winners], National Football Foundation, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref> The same year he was inducted into the [[Tournament of Roses|Rose Bowl]] Hall of Fame for his many years of contribution to "The Granddaddy of Them All".<ref>[http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp Rose Bowl Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816231941/http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp |date=August 16, 2010 }}, Tournament of Roses, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref>  The Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University awarded their alumnus with the Murrow Award for top leaders in the communication industry in 1999;<ref>[http://murrow.wsu.edu/symposium.html Murrow Symposium] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611000216/http://murrow.wsu.edu/symposium.html |date=June 11, 2007 }}, Washington State University, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref> Jackson was a charter member of the WSU Foundation, founded in 1979, provided scholarship money to the Murrow School and chaired the fund-raising drive for the school's alumni center.<ref name="AP010599"/> In 1994, Jackson was inducted into the [[American Sportscasters Association]] Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/jackson.html|title=Jackson, Keith - 1994 Hall of Fame Inductee}}</ref> On April 24, 1995, he was inducted into the [[National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association]] Hall of Fame, having won its National Sportscaster of the Year five successive times.<ref name="NSSAHOF"/>  The [[American Football Coaches Association]] awarded him its [[Amos Alonzo Stagg Award]] in 1993 as an individual "whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football."<ref>[http://www.afca.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=69271&SPID=7854&DB_OEM_ID=9300&ATCLID=289544 Amos Alonzo Stagg Award – Past Winners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524072032/http://www.afca.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=69271&SPID=7854&DB_OEM_ID=9300&ATCLID=289544 |date=May 24, 2011 }}, American Football Coaches Association, Accessed August 20, 2007.</ref> He was the first sports announcer to receive the Stagg award.<ref name="TDC110897"/>

Longtime [[Penn State University|Penn State]] Head Coach [[Joe Paterno]] said of Jackson: "I don't think you could say that there is any one person who is not a coach, athletic director or administrator who has done more for college football than Keith Jackson".<ref name="TDC110897"/> [[Michigan Wolverines|Michigan]] Head Coach [[Lloyd Carr]] described Jackson as "a symbol of all the good things in college football".<ref name="TDC110897"/>

The [[Rose Bowl stadium]]'s radio and TV booths were renamed "The Keith Jackson Broadcast Center" in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rosebowlstadium.com/legacy/keith-jackson-broadcast-center|title=Keith Jackson Broadcast Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113133651/http://www.rosebowlstadium.com/legacy/keith-jackson-broadcast-center|archive-date=November 13, 2015}}, Rosebowlstadium.com, November 5, 2015</ref>

In 2010, Jackson was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from [[Whittier College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whittier.edu/alumni/poetnation/honorary|title=Honorary Degrees {{!}} Whittier College|website=www.whittier.edu|access-date=2019-12-06}}</ref>

In 2019, he was posthumously inducted into the [[Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.georgiasportshalloffame.com/legends-class-of-2019 | title=Legends 2019 }}</ref>

===Film and television appearances===
Jackson had a minor career as an actor, often either playing himself, as on an episode of ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]''; or a sportscaster like himself, as in ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' (1966), appearing in the first speaking role of the film "Football Announcer" as a CBS play-by-play man, a network for whom he never worked. He has also appeared in and narrated several sports [[Documentary film|documentaries]]. His play-by-play of the [[1977 World Series]] is used in the background of the [[Spike Lee]] film, ''[[Summer of Sam]]'' (1999). In 2007, he appeared in clips and voice on the [[ESPN]] original series, ''[[The Bronx Is Burning]]'', featuring clips from ABC's ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]'', and ABC Sports' coverage of the [[1977 World Series]].{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Jackson has appeared in numerous commercials, especially in the latter stages of his career. He once parodied his broadcast persona for a [[Miller Lite]] beer commercial, in which he played the officiating minister at a wedding, finishing with his famous line, "Whoa, Nellie!"<ref>{{cite web|title=Keith Jackson Miller Lite commercial 1995|url=https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Video/Keith-Jackson-Miller-Lite-commercial-1995-8041591?View=Full|website=Scout.com|access-date=January 14, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He also appeared in commercials for [[Shoney's]], a chain of family-style restaurants well known in the Southeast, especially in his native Georgia. Jackson appeared in "The Legend of [[Gatorade]]" ads, which he humorously alluded to during his live coverage of the [[2006 Rose Bowl]]. In 2006, he also was shown in a commercial for [[Ice Breakers]]' Ice Cubes with [[Hilary Duff]], [[Haylie Duff]] and [[Joey Lawrence]], again contributing his famous "Whoa, Nellie!"<ref>{{cite web|title=Ice Breakers - Ice Cubes - Whoa!|url=http://www.splendad.com/ads/show/889-Ice-Breakers-Ice-Cubes-Whoa.html|website=splendad.com|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

Jackson was portrayed by actor [[Shuler Hensley]] in the 2002 made-for-cable film ''[[Monday Night Mayhem]]'', which aired on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]]. This film told the story of the initial seasons of ''Monday Night Football''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Monday Night Mayhem|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monday_night_mayhem/|website=rottentomatoes.com|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

===Personal life and death===
Jackson and his wife, Turi Ann, resided in [[California]] and also spent time in [[British Columbia]], where they owned a vacation property. They had three children, Melanie Ann, Lindsey and Christopher.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/keith-jackson-dies-college-football-voice-known-for-whoa-nellie-was-89-1202242495/|title=Keith Jackson Dies: College Football Voice Known For "Whoa, Nellie" Was 89|author=Haring, Bruce|magazine=Deadline|date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> At the time of his death, he resided in the [[Sherman Oaks]] area of Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/2018/01/13/legendary-broadcaster-keith-jackson-dies-89/109421350/|title=Legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson dies at 89|date=January 14, 2018|newspaper=Detroit News}}</ref> On the subject of writing a book, Jackson admitted that he'd considered it, but joked that he would only sit down and work on one if he were to ever lose his golf swing.<ref>''[[USA Weekend]]'': November 23, 2008</ref>

Jackson died on January 12, 2018, at the age of 89.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-me-keith-jackson-20180113-story.html|title=Keith Jackson, folksy voice of college football, dies at 89|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 13, 2018|author1=Kipper, Mike |author2=DiGiovanna, Mike }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/legendary-broadcaster-keith-jackson-dies-age-89/story?id=52326736|title=Legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson dies at age 89|publisher=ABC News|date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="THR">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/keith-jackson-dead-abc-college-814919|title=Keith Jackson, Legendary Voice of College Football, Dies at 89|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 13, 2018|author=Barnes, Mike}}</ref>