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Honoring Merrill Reese as the voice of the Philadelphia Eagles and congratulating him on his 50th season as the Eagles radio play-by-play announcer.
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WHEREAS, Merrill Reese was born in Philadelphia in 1942 and grew up in Overbrook Park. He is a lifelong Philadelphian and a proud graduate of Overbrook High School. Before his career in broadcasting, he was a child actor and performer; and
WHEREAS, Reese received his bachelor’s in communications and broadcasting from Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication, where he did play-by-play at Temple’s WRTI FM radio station. After college, he served his country through the United States Navy, earning the title of lieutenant, having served at the Pentagon, Naval Academy, and in Norfolk, Virginia; and
WHEREAS, His passion for the game is as strong as when he first started voicing for the Eagles in 1977. Reese is the longest serving current play-by-play announcer in the NFL. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2024, he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after receiving the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award the same year; and
WHEREAS, Alongside his work for the Eagles, Reese has also voiced play-by-play commentary for ESPN’s award-winning series NFL Dream Season, Madison Square Garden Television, and Philadelphia Big 5. He has been named Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year by the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters, and was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Outside of his professional accomplishments, Reese is a loving husband to his wife Cindy and father to his two children. Each night before a game, Cindy quizzes him on the opposing team, their players, and jersey numbers to help him prepare; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors Merrill Reese as the voice of the Philadelphia Eagles and congratulates him on his 50th season as the Eagles radio play-by-play announcer.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution will be presented to Merrill Reese and his family as a sincere expression of the City Council of Philadelphia’s gratitude and admiration.
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