Jan. 21, 2010
SALISBURY, N.C. – Wes Durham, Voice of the Yellow Jackets as well as the play-by-play voice for the Atlanta Falcons, was named Georgia’s Sportscaster of the Year, announced by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Durham, in his 15th season of calling play-by-play for Georgia Tech football and men’s basketball, wins the honor for the sixth time and for the fifth time in the last eight years. Since 2004, Durham has also been the radio play-by-play voice of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
“It is always special to win an award, but especially one voted on by your peers,” Durham said. I’m very fortunate to have such good people working on our broadcasts, and I continue to get great support from the administration, coaches and fans of both Georgia Tech and the Falcons.”
It marks the second time that Durham and his father, Woody Durham, have won the award in their respective state in the same year. Woody Durham, the legendary and longtime voice of the North Carolina Tar Heels, was honored for the 14th time.
Since 2003, Wes Durham has been Georgia’s Sportscaster of the Year five times. The only others to be honored in that span were Skip Caray, Larry Munson and Pete Van Weiren.
The 2009 Georgia Sportswriter of the Year was Furman Bisher, formerly of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The NSSA also announced that Peter Gammons and John Madden have been inducted into that organization’s Hall of Fame, and that Jim Nantz and Bob Ryan were named National Sportscaster and Sportswriter of the Year, respectively.
The awards ceremony is slated for Salisbury, N.C., on May 3rd.