On May 8, 2025, longtime radio voice of the Philadelphia Eagles Merrill Reese, KLN ’64, will address graduates of Klein College of Media and Communication at the Liacouras Center during the college’s spring graduation ceremony.
Reese has been the Eagles play-by-play announcer for the past 48 seasons, making him the longest-serving current announcer in the NFL. On Aug. 3, 2024, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, receiving the 2024 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.
Reese graduated from Klein College in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in communications and broadcasting. He has deep roots at Temple University; his father graduated from the Kornberg School of Dentistry. Reese was even born at Temple University Hospital on Sept. 2, 1942. This familial connection is not the only reason he attended Klein College.
“I chose Temple because at the time there weren’t a lot of schools with communication majors, and Temple was considered to be one of the best and one of the most innovative,” Reese explained. “I mean, they had a student radio station, they had a full major in communications and journalism. So, that was an easy choice.”
While at Klein College, Reese was very involved in student media. When he was a sophomore, he was named the sports director of WRTI, the student radio station that proceeded WHIP. He covered Temple baseball, football, basketball and the Big 5 games.
“By the time I was a senior, I had done so many games that I was full of play-by-play experience,” said Reese. “So, I really got a great break, and I had some wonderful teachers at Temple.”
One of Reese’s professors was Lew Klein, a broadcasting pioneer and the namesake of Klein College. In 2017, Reese spoke at the ceremony naming the college in honor of Lew Klein.
“Lew Klein was always a mentor, somebody I kept in touch with my entire life from college-on,” said Reese.
As a kid, Reese played youth league football, and had hopes of becoming a professional quarterback. He also acted in radio and television commercials. He also grew up in Overbrook Park, Philadelphia, so he was an Eagles fan from day one. Becoming the voice of the Eagles has always been his dream.
“When I got to thinking about what I really wanted to do, and I loved sports so much, it really was from the very beginning to be a play-by-play broadcaster,” Reese said.
Reflecting on his decades in broadcasting, Reese has witnessed many changes. He commented on the increase in commercials and money in sports, changing the way broadcasts are run. However, with the rise in internet, he’s able to obtain a lot of footage and information in a way he couldn’t at the start of his career. He noted that print journalism has declined significantly, but social media has allowed for more opportunities for people to get their start.
“It’s a different type of field. You may have to go into print journalism. You may have to go into podcasting, streaming. It’s a much more technology-driven field than it was when I came out of college in 1492,” joked Reese.
Reese promised to speak from the heart at graduation, and there is no doubt he will provide valuable insight to 2025 Klein College graduates.
“We are delighted to have Merrill address our graduates. As his recent Pro Football Hall of Fame induction indicates, he is among the very best in the history of sportscasting, and we are enormously proud that he is a Klein College alumnus,” said Klein College Dean David Boardman. “Merrill’s success directly stems from his dedication, his preparation and his sense of fair play. I know he will impart those values to our graduates.”