Larry Munson was hired as the radio voice of the Georgia Bulldogs in 1966 and over the next 43 years became one of the most beloved broadcasters in college football history. He worked at numerous stations before landing the job as the voice of the Bulldogs, where he remained until his retirement two games into the 2008 season. In May 2009, he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Tony Barnhart has covered college football for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 24 years and continues to write the popular Mr. College Football blog. He hosts his own weekly television show, The Tony Barnhart Show, and is a regular contributor to the College Football Today show on CBS. He is the author of Always a Bulldog, Dooley, Southern Fried Football, and What It Means to Be a Bulldog. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

From Herschel To A Hobnail Boot

The Life and Times of Larry Munson

By Larry Munson, Tony Barnhart

Triumph Books

Copyright © 2013 Larry Munson and Tony Barnhart
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60078-869-7

Contents

Foreword by Verne Lundquist,
Acknowledgments,
Introduction by Tony Barnhart,
1. Get the Picture: It's Been a Helluva Ride,
2. Memories of Minnesota,
3. My Mom, My Music,
4. The War I Could Not Smell,
5. Coming Home, Moving On,
6. Nashville: Vanderbilt and Sulphur Dell,
7. The Braves: Big Break, Big Heartache,
8. The '60s: At Last a Bulldog!,
9. The '70s: From Appleby to Washington to Wonder Dogs,
10. The '80s: There Goes Herschel! There Goes Herschel!,
11. The '90s: Close but No Cigar,
12. Champions Again!,
13. My 10 Favorite Calls,
14. The Larry Munson Timeline,
15. Thanks, You Guys,
About the Authors,
Photo Gallery,

CHAPTER 1

Get the Picture: It's Been a Helluva Ride

Forty-three years? How is that even possible? Hell, I was 43 years old when Joel Eaves hired me at Georgia in 1966. And I'm still here 43 years later getting ready to walk back into that stadium, maybe for the last time? How does that happen?

Saturday, November 29, 2008.

Part of me was looking forward to this day. But the biggest part of me flat-out just didn't want to go. I didn't want to face what I knew I was going to have to face. It wasn't going to be easy. In fact it was going to be pretty damned hard. Pretty damned emotional. I don't handle that stuff well.

After I announced my retirement back in September, I knew this day was coming. I knew that sooner or later I would go back to Sanford Stadium to say good-bye and to say thanks for what the people in that place had done for me for 43 years.

Forty-three years? How is that even possible? Hell, I was 43 years old when Joel Eaves hired me at Georgia in 1966. And I'm still here 43 years later getting ready to walk back into that stadium, maybe for the last time? How does that happen?

I really didn't think about the fact that we were playing Georgia Tech or the meaning of the game. Georgia Tech is always a big game for us, and early in the week I was really worried about our defense. We just didn't have that stud defensive end like David Pollack that we usually have. We just didn't seem to have the athletes to slow down Georgia Tech, who had been running the ball up and down the field on everybody. And how did they get so good all of a sudden?

But by the time we got to Saturday, I wasn't thinking about any of that. I was thinking about myself and what this day was going to mean. This made it official. I was going away, and that was kind of bothering me. Because to tell you the truth, right up until this time there was still a part of me that thought I could come back. I had been through a tough deal with brain surgery and rehab, but I thought it was just a matter of time before everything was right again.

I had problems with my back, my brain, and just about every body part you can name. I thought that no matter what, the voice would always be there. But it wasn't. I really thought I would be able to work a little longer, but you forget how old you are. And damn it, I was old.

So here you are. My sons Michael and Jonathan and their families are in the house getting ready to go do this thing. I'm not saying a whole helluva lot. I was probably pretty tough to get along with that day.

* * *

This whole deal really started the year before, when I finally decided that the traveling was just killing me. Damon Evans (the athletic director at Georgia), Claude Felton (Georgia's longtime sports information director), and Loran Smith came out to the house to talk about what we were going to do with the radio broadcast in 2007.

Before that meeting I had pretty much made up my mind that I was just going to do the home games that season. I found out later that was kind of what Damon had on his mind and that Claude was ready to support him on the idea. So when Damon brought it up, I immediately said "Yeah." I thought it was a good idea for Scott Howard to do the road stuff. We got through the whole thing in about 45 seconds. The idea of not having to scramble to and from the Atlanta Airport really appealed to me. I could see the look of relief on their faces, because I'm sure they were worried that I might fight it.

It didn't dawn on me that my voice might be so bad that there was no choice whatsoever in this — that I had lost something in my pipes without realizing it. Until you actually open your mouth to call a game, you really don't know. But at the time there was no doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to do. My thinking was that it wouldn't be too offensive to people if Scott and I just split the games. I know you sort of have to sell the idea to sponsors and stuff.

To me it was okay. It didn't bother me at all. Frankly I was a little surprised at my own thinking, because 10 years ago it would have bothered me a lot. But Georgia football is such a big thing, and our audience is really in tune and intelligent about the sport. I knew they would understand.

The thing that kills you when you get older is getting on and off of planes, getting to the airport, getting up to all these different press boxes. I was having back problems, and some arthritis was starting to kick in. The travel just totally exhausts you, and then you have nothing left to do the game. I remember (longtime Kentucky radio voice) Cawood Ledford telling me near the end for him that it was getting tougher and tougher for him to see. He told me, "Munce, I can't get up the first step of the bus."

So I decided just to do the home games. To me, that was the best thing to keep me going for as long as possible.

So in 2007 I did the home games and then went over to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech game at the end of the year. We had a pretty good season (10–2) and got invited to play in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii. My plan was to make the trip to New Orleans and do the game.

I don't remember all of the details of why I didn't make the trip to New Orleans. It made sense to do the game. There was some publicity with it because the other guy (Hawaii) thought he was good enough to hang with us. Fans wanted to see the game to see what we were going to do with that scoring machine. I don't know why I backed away, but all of a sudden I didn't want to touch it. In the background waiting for you is always the plane that you have to catch the next morning. I just decided not to go.

I didn't know what the problem was, but I was starting to have some spells where I would suddenly black out and fall. I can remember a couple of nights when I would find myself on the ground or halfway on the ground. I know it shocked some of the people around me. I wasn't completely aware of what was happening, but it knocks you for a loop and scares the hell out of you. I would wake up and I would be on the ground. I didn't know what the hell was going on, and I didn't remember a thing. It would just happen

The doctor told me I had a blood clot on the brain and that it was going to have to come out. I was told by the brain-surgery people that I could not take another blow to the head in this place. I hate doctors and I hate hospitals, but it was something we had to do. (Note: On April 4, 2008, Larry had surgery to remove a subdural hematoma from his brain. The surgery was performed at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens,...