An unfamiliar voice will be heard through the speakers of Bragg Stadium as the “Voice of Bragg” has disconnected his microphone for good after 30 years.
Kenneth Jones has graced fans in Bragg Memorial Stadium with his voice longer than the majority of FAMU’s student body has been alive. To fill the vacancy Jones leaves, Vaughn Wilson, assistant athletic director and director of Rattler Productions came up with an innovative idea. He decided to shoot a reality show where candidates will compete for the job.
An ideal candidate for the job must speak well, know FAMU History, know football, be able to project their voice and be able to handle the spontaneous things that may arise.
Travis Milton, a graduate of FAMU and former student of Jones had the opportunity to operate the cameras at every game held in Bragg Stadium.
“Kenneth Jones was like none other, hands down. Hearing his voice over the PA system signified the true essence of Rattler Football. Whoever is granted the opportunity to become the next ‘Voice of Bragg’ will have some huge shoes to fill,” Milton said.
Being that Jones was behind the mic for so long, the memories have to be endless.
“I always loved to hear him announce a field goal or extra point made,” Wilson said as he prepared to imitate Jones’ voice, “ ‘AAAAANNNNNNNNNNND it’s GOOOOOOOD!’ He would say with a thunderous voice. I will also miss professionalism,” Wilson said.
With FAMU athletics headed in a different direction the new Voice of Bragg can bring a fresh wave of energy to Rattler country. The athletics department also secured a three-year deal with Nike for new uniforms.
Jones was comfortable behind the microphone and in dealing with prep for every game and he had this to say.
“I had a mental prep when getting ready to announce the games. I wanted to entertain the crowd, inform the crowd. Big runs — big tackles — you’re the voice of the university at that point. You have to be careful what you do and say when speaking,” he said.
When asked about the updates of the quest to find a new “Voice of Bragg” Wilson said, “It has been amazing. We nailed it down to 25 contestants for the show. People traveled far distances to apply for the position. I am still amazed at the level of talent and experience we had.”
Jones had some advice for those in the running to be the Voice of Bragg.
“Come into the job really wanting to first protect the brand of Florida A&M University by PA announcing, good ethics, good volume, good sportsmanship, not talking down the opposing team. These things are critical and I believe they are what have set us apart in the way we handle our game day operations in our football contests.”
The Show is set to air on Fox Sports. It begins airing Wednesday, Aug. 17 and will air for three consecutive weeks.