This one hurts, Common Fans. It was announced Saturday morning that Greg Sharpe, the voice of Nebraska football and baseball since 2008, had passed away on Friday.
Sharpe’s battle with pancreatic cancer was well known to Husker fans. When he learned of his prognosis roughly a year ago, his goal was simply to make it to August to call the first Nebraska football game. That tells you something about the severity of the diagnosis he received.
He accomplished his goal and much more. Throughout the football season and into this year, it has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of love and support from Husker fans, opposing fan bases, and the broader football community. During Nebraska’s first away game at Purdue, the Purdue Athletic Department gave him a “Hammer Down Cancer” hat along with a heartfelt note, and the Boilermakers student section hoisted a sign that read “Hammer Down Cancer, Sharpe Strong.” Later in the season, Sharpe and his family were honored at a Kansas City Chiefs game. He was named the 2024 Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year, and more recently, the Nebraska athletic department honored him by naming the football radio broadcast booth the “Greg Sharpe Radio Booth.”
No one could be more deserving of these honors. Behind the mic for Nebraska football and baseball for 17 years, Sharpe was the voice of the Huskers for an entire generation of Nebraska fans. With his booming voice and seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm, he was a larger than life presence that matched the fervor Nebraskans have for their Huskers. At the same time, he was a relatable, friendly, and comforting voice. To tune into a Nebraska broadcast and hear Sharpe on the call brought with it the familiar comfort of a beloved friend or neighbor, even for those of us who never met him. In this increasingly chaotic world, Sharpe’s voice provided a warm and welcome respite for Husker fans.
Greg Sharpe was not just a part of this journey we all love so much. He was central to it, something we came to rely on as we cheered on our beloved Huskers. Many in Husker Nation love to turn down the TV volume during a football broadcast, and listen to the radio call instead. I love seeing highlights from years gone by posted on social media, with the television clip set to Sharpe’s call in the radio booth.
Indeed, it won’t be the same this fall, knowing Sharpe is not there to take us through the action as we cheer on the boys in red. But he will live on in the hearts of Husker fans for years to come, through the memories he helped us make and the joy he brought to Saturdays in the fall. That will be his lasting legacy.
