Friday night when the clock ticks down on the Saints versus the Oakland Raiders game inside the Superdome, an era will end for the Black and Gold faithful. The Saints long-time announcer Jerry Romig will hang up his microphone and retire after 44 years and what will then be his 446th game.
"It has been such a great honor. I have been honored by the leadership of this community, the Superdome and the Saints organization to be the voice of the Superdome," Romig said. "I've enjoyed every moment, there have been some great moments. There will probably be tears on Friday. I'm going to miss it; no doubt about it. I'm a fan, and I like to keep that in mind all the time. I've been blessed, somebody has been watching over me to have kept me in front of that microphone for such a long time."
Romig has never missed a home game. Through last week's preseason win over Kansas City, he has made thousands of his trademark calls including 1,014 "Touchdown, Saints," 1,352 "It's Good!" calls for field goals and extra points, as well as 4,157 "First Down, Saints" calls.
The new voice filling the Dome will likely have a reminiscent ring. Romig's son, Mark, will continue the family tradition by taking over for his father when the Saints regular season opens at home against Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 8.
"Jerry has been a part of the Saints family since our third season, and we couldn't be more grateful for his passion and love for the Saints as our PA announcer," said Owner/Chairman of the Board Tom Benson. "We are thrilled that his son, Mark, will carry on the Romig torch as our fans have an incredible affection for Jerry and his trademark call during games. Jerry's voice is embedded in our game experience, and we know that fans will enjoy Mark as our new announcer as he carries on his father's legacy."
In honor of Romig's dedication, the Saints will present him with a Super Bowl XLIV ring during the pre-game festivities of the Saints home opener against Atlanta. The house control booth will be renamed the "Jerry Romig House Control Booth" in his honor.
Romig's first game as PA announcer was August 30, 1969 at a preseason match-up against the Atlanta Falcons at Tulane Stadium. Romig brought to life many of the Saints most historic plays, including the famous 63-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey as time expired to give the team a win over the Detroit Lions in 1970. During the 1971 season opener, Romig called first-round draft pick Archie Manning's professional debut as Manning ran out the clock to give the Saints a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
