The Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL’s most stable organization. You don’t see many changes in ownership, head coaching, or broadcasting. So, when Bill Hillgrove announced his retirement in February after 30 years as the voice of the Steelers, that was a big deal. His successor is a name familiar to Pittsburgh fans.
Rob King is the new play-by-play radio voice of the Steelers. His promotion was announced last month after spending several years as a member of the Steelers Audio Network pre-game and post-game broadcast team. We caught up with King to chat about his new gig.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: How does it feel to be the voice of the Steelers?
Rob King: “It feels unbelievable. I am extremely grateful that Art Rooney and the Steelers have given me this opportunity. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for 24 years. I know what the Steelers mean to the community. I’m just thrilled.”
How did you find out you were going to be the guy?
“My wife and I were on vacation. I was walking through the streets of Porto, Portugal, winding roads, a beautiful city. The phone rang. It was the Steelers, and they offered me the job. It was kind of surreal in the first place just walking around this beautiful old city. Secondly, to get the call that you hoped would be coming eventually certainly put a positive accent on my vacation.”
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Do you feel any pressure taking over for Bill Hillgrove?
“I’ve been asked that a lot, and the first thing I would tell people is I’m not replacing Bill Hillgrove. You don’t replace somebody like that. You just follow him. You’re just the next person in line. That’s all you can do. Try to follow him and set your own course. People in Pittsburgh, hopefully they’ve gotten accustomed to me.
“I think Pittsburgh likes genuine people. I try to be as genuine as I possibly can. That’s all I can do. I can’t try to be Bill Hillgrove any more than Bill Hillgrove could try to be Jack Fleming .”
How have the preseason games been for you?
“It’s a work in progress, and it’s going to remain a work in progress. I’ve always been my own worst critic. There are things that I think have gone well and certainly things that I need to get better at and need to help my broadcast partners and the whole production get better at.
“I think it’s been about four years since I was regularly calling football games. So, there’s a little rust to knock off, but hopefully, the trajectory is pointing in the right direction.”
How would you describe your broadcasting style?
“I guess I would say that I’m trying to paint the picture in people’s minds, and I’m trying to bring some enthusiasm and urgency. There are only so many football games, so every game is an event. I think there needs to be a sense of urgency with that. That’s my perspective.
“Other people, I’m sure, feel differently. I believe that a good broadcast makes people feel like they’re part of it. Also part of being a good broadcaster is being sort of a point guard. To try to help everybody else in the broadcast. I’m surrounded by talented people.”
How have the Steelers looked so far to you?
“It’s hard to judge. I’m just looking at the numbers and trying to memorize them. There are a lot of guys out there, so I’m looking at practice a little differently than probably a lot of other media guys are.
“I’m looking at it through the lens of a play-by-play guy. ‘What do I need to know to be able to do my job?’ Again, it’s preseason, and I’m just getting started. For me, it’s just about doing what I need to do as a play-by-play guy to get myself prepared for the season.”
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Who were some of the broadcasters who enjoyed growing up?
“There’s just so many. And I wasn’t looking at it like, ‘Hey, I hope one day I get to be a sports broadcaster.’ I loved that CBS show [ The NFL Today ] with Irv Cross, Brent Musburger, Jimmy the Greek, and Phyllis George. Pat Summerall was incredible.
“If you grew up in New York, you heard a lot of Marv Albert. He’s fantastic. But then you move, and you hear Mike Lange. He’s a legendary former Penguins broadcaster. So unique, such a great style. They’re just way too many to count.”
What led you to broadcasting?
“Complete and utter luck. It came at the suggestion of my best friend, a guy named Brent Pope. I went to Washington University as an English Literature major, but everything I did in my life revolved around sports. I was lamenting going to grad school. I was thinking about going to law school. He was the one who suggested, ‘Hey, why don’t you get into TV broadcasting?’
“Frankly, it had never occurred to me that that was a job that I could pursue. Washington University didn’t have a major for that. I was midway through my junior year. So, I got an internship at KPLR-TV in St. Louis. That was my foot in the door. From there, I was able to take advantage of the opportunities and get lucky as well. And here I am.”
What was doing the pre and post-game for the Steelers like?
“I did pre-game for about 10 years. Last year, I did the post-game. The pre-game was getting fans ready for the game and then the post-game was largely taking phone calls from viewers and wrapping up the game in a two-hour show with Charlie Batch, a former Steelers quarterback.
“I also did other radio programs. I did a show for the Steelers on their social and digital media platforms. I’ve been involved for about 10 years and started getting more involved last year.”
Do you have any funny stories involving callers?
“No, not really. The people here are passionate, and so the phone lines were jam-packed. They’d be jam-packed when we finished the show, and it could be after a Monday night game. It might be 2:30 in the morning, and the phone lines would still be full when we got off the air. That’s part of what makes Steeler Nation so great. The people are passionate and pointed with their criticisms.”
What are you looking forward to the most for Week 1 when the Steelers open up in Atlanta?
“I’m looking forward to calling my first Steelers broadcast in this position. I did four games several years ago, filling in for Bill. It was a great experience. But this has a little bit of a different feel for me. Hopefully, the voice that people are going to hear in Week 1 is one they’re going to hear for a while. I’m excited about starting a new journey.”
The post Rob King on his ‘unbelievable’ gig as the Steelers’ new radio voice appeared first on Awful Announcing .
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