For 37 years, Gene Deckerhoff’s voice has been the soundtrack to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ games. A constant through two Super Bowls and countless gut-wrenching losses, all the way to the current Baker Mayfield era. Multiple generations of fans have never known anyone else behind the mic. At 80, he’s one of only three NFL radio voices with this kind of tenure. But now, that broadcasting career ends when the Buccaneers conclude their 50th season.

“37 seasons. 750+ games. More than 1,100 iconic “Touchdown, Tampa Bay!” calls,” the Buccaneers’ Instagram page shared a tribute for Deckerhoff. “The Voice of the Buccaneers, Gene Deckerhoff, will officially retire at the conclusion of our 50th season, closing out one of the longest & most distinguished broadcasting tenures in franchise & NFL history. Thank you, Gene! 👏”

Deckerhoff didn’t just describe plays; he made them immortal with his voice. Take December 2007, for example. Michael Spurlock fielded a kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs had never returned a kickoff return for a touchdown. But Spurlock found a crease, and Deckerhoff’s call exploded: “Run, Michael, run!” Ninety yards, first kickoff return touchdown in over three decades of Buccaneers football, and Deckerhoff sounded more excited than Spurlock himself. And this is just one story of his journey with Tampa Bay.

There’s also his memorable signature: “Fire the cannons!” When Raymond James Stadium opened with that pirate ship in the corner, the crowd went crazy for it. The cannons fired after every score, and Deckerhoff immortalized it. He started using the phrase organically, and by 2011, he’d even pitched it as a ringtone idea to the team’s marketing director.

Then there was Matt Bryant’s 62-yarder against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007. The kick had barely cleared the uprights when Deckerhoff lost it: “Matt Bryant is my hero!” His genuine shock at the time mirrored every single listener. And, of course, there’s the victory lap. When Derrick Brooks intercepted a throw and returned it 44 yards with 1:18 left, Gene Deckerhoff delivered the franchise-defining line: “The dagger’s in, we’re gonna win the Super Bowl.”

He’s the only team radio voice to call both a Super Bowl championship and a college football national title. Florida State heard him years before he retired from that gig in 2022. And his career spanned generations in the field as well. From Mike Alstott’s power runs to Baker Mayfield’s deep shots, all soundtracked by the same voice. And as that career draws to a close, Tampa Bay isn’t staying quiet.

Tampa Bay’s cannon fire for Gene Deckerhoff

When the Bucs posted that retirement announcement on Instagram, the response was instant. Decades of gratitude from the listeners flooded in for the voice of football in Tampa Bay. One fan even demanded a statue for Deckerhoff. “Give this man a statue! All the games that were blacked out back in the day and Gene came through to make it feel like we were there. True Florida legend!!”

Those blackout years hit differently. From 1973 to 2014, if 85% of the tickets weren’t sold three days before the game, it wouldn’t air locally. Local broadcasts often fell behind because of this, so Deckerhoff became the only connection to games. He wasn’t optional; he was essential.

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And then the nostalgia poured out. “Voice of my childhood. Bless you Gene!” wrote one fan. Another shared a similar sentiment, noting just how integral Deckerhoff was to Tampa Bay football: “The voice of my youth! We lived and died with our BUCS every Sunday thanks to the best to ever call a game.”

Some fans even turned appreciation into motivation for the team to finish the regular season with a massive win: “@buccaneers we need yall to figure it out and show up different on Sunday. We want to gear FIRE THE CANNONS on repeat for 3 hours.” Tampa Bay is demanding playoff glory for Gene’s finale.

But the reality of replacing Gene Deckerhoff wasn’t lost. Many pointed at the daunting shoes the next voice would have to fill while congratulating him. “Whoever takes his job will have big shoes to fill. Congrats Gene on a happy retirement and thank you for 37 exciting years of Touchdown Tampa Bay!”

When Saturday’s game against the Carolina Panthers ends, so does an era. Gene Deckerhoff has turned football into poetry; his voice is Tampa Bay. And at the end of this journey, Tampa Bay is saying goodbye to the only soundtrack it’s known for nearly four decades.