Jim Nantz has called many signature events during his nearly 40 years at CBS Sports. He'll reach a milestone on Sunday, though, that only a few NFL announcers have accomplished. Nantz will call his 500th NFL game when the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos in an AFC wild-card round game.
According to CBS records, Nantz is the first person in CBS’ storied NFL history to work 500 games as a play-by-play announcer. Pat Summerall did more than 500 games at CBS, but started as an analyst in 1962 after retiring from playing. He moved to play-by-play midway through the 1974 season.
“That’s a lot of games. It’s just staggering,” Nantz said. “With the historic relationship between the league and CBS that no one else can boast about and to think I have been given the blessing of calling more NFL games play-by-play than anyone in the network’s history, it’s meaningful and something that resonates for me.”.
Nantz will be the eighth NFL TV play-by-play announcer to reach 500 games, but only the second with all of his games at one network. Kenny Albert, who has done games since Fox got the NFL in 1994, reached the milestone on Oct. 13 when the Cleveland Browns faced the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to research from the 506 Sports Archive, Al Michaels, Dick Stockton, Don Criqui, Summerall, Kevin Harlan and Charlie Jones, are also part of The 500 Club. Joe Buck is at 494 going into Monday night’s NFC wild-card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams in Arizona.
