Verne Lundquist receives AutoZone Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award
Photo: Sportscasting legend Verne Lundquist with wife Nancy. (Courtesy AutoZone Liberty Bowl)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist, whose voice became synonymous with college football, NCAA basketball and golf’s Masters Tournament, is the 2025 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award winner, which was presented to him Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Hilton Memphis.
The honor, first presented in 1972, is one of the bowl’s most prestigious traditions. It recognizes outstanding Americans from sports, business, entertainment, public service and the military who exemplify leadership, excellence and community spirit.
Proceeds from the dinner and auction held Sunday in Memphis benefitted St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Speaking exclusively with DeSoto County News Sunday evening, Lundquist said the recognition left him humbled.
“When (Bowl Executive Director) Steve Earhart called me and told me about the award, I was overwhelmed,” Lundquist said. “Then, when I saw the previous list of winners, I was really struck. I mean, this is a huge honor. The biggest challenge may be figuring out how to carry this award onto the plane and get it home.”
Lundquist spent decades behind the microphone. He was the voice of the Dallas Cowboys radio network for 17 seasons, anchored sports at WFAA-TV in Dallas, and went on to call marquee events for ABC, CBS and TNT. At CBS, he became one of the network’s most versatile broadcasters, calling college basketball, golf and figure skating, but he is best remembered for his work on SEC football, which he called for 17 years.
“It was the best assignment of my life,” Lundquist said of his SEC tenure. “Every week was a great game. The SEC was filled with tremendous teams, and the fact that CBS chose to showcase the conference early on really helped elevate the sport.”
His career produced some of the most memorable calls in sports history. He was behind the microphone for Jack Nicklaus’ putt at the 1986 Masters with his iconic “Yes, sir!” call and Tiger Woods’ dramatic chip-in at Augusta in 2005. On the gridiron, he captured the excitement of the 2013 “Kick Six” Iron Bowl, when Auburn shocked Alabama on a last-second return of a missed field goal. In basketball, his call of Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater in Duke’s 1992 NCAA Tournament win over Kentucky remains one of the sport’s most replayed highlights.
Lundquist has also been recognized with numerous honors, including induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, as well as receiving the Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2016, he accepted a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, which he keeps in a place of honor at home.
Past recipients of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl award include Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, Archie Manning, Steve Spurrier, FedEx founder Fred Smith and wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler.
As Lundquist reflected on the honor, he also considered the state of the game he covered for decades.
“College football is in flux,” he said. “The transfer portal has changed everything, and it’s not going back. It’s a time of adjustment, and people are just going to have to get used to it.”
The Distinguished Citizen Award presentation has become a hallmark of Liberty Bowl week, celebrating those who have made lasting contributions while embracing the values of liberty, freedom and patriotism.
