Linfield College has hired Kevin Nelson as its new football play-by-play broadcaster and community partnership representative.
Nelson takes over the role as “voice of the Wildcats” from Bill Johnson, who passed away suddenly in November. Out of necessity, Nelson was called upon to fill Johnson's seat in the broadcast booth during last season's football playoffs as Johnson became terminally ill.
Followers of Linfield athletic teams who tune into radio broadcasts on KPDQ-AM and KSLC-FM or watch the college's live stream videocasts, are likely already familiar with Nelson's on-air work. Before taking over the football play-by-play, he served as football sideline reporter. During his time at Linfield, he also provided play-by-play coverage of a wide spectrum of Linfield sports offerings, including basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball.
“Kevin has the special ability to take listeners on a magic carpet ride throughout the course of a game,” said Linfield sports information director Kelly Bird, who oversees the college's sports broadcasting operations. “Listeners grow comfortable hearing him in much the same way they become comfortable wearing their favorite pair of jeans. The quality of his voice, ability to fluctuate the intensity level to match the flow of the game, plus his natural ease on camera and behind the microphone, make him an extraordinary all-around talent.”
“Sports broadcasting is something I'm very passionate about. I take pride in every broadcast I've done, from volleyball to softball and everything in between,” said Nelson. “It will be nice to focus on one sport. I want fans and alumni to know the voice that they are hearing truly cares about past success as well as the future of the program.”
Nelson completes his bachelor's degree in mass communications this month. Though landing a coveted play-by-play position right out of college is rare for any new graduate, the Enumclaw, Washington, native expects his progression from the sidelines to lead play-by-play announcer to be smooth.
“I'm obviously familiar with the Linfield way of doing things. Our staff couldn't be better to work with and I'm excited to continue to push our broadcasts to the next level of sophistication.”
Taking over for Johnson as the athletic department's community partnership representative, Nelson also looks forward to meeting local business leaders and developing multi-media marketing plans. Armed with new ideas and a fresh perspective, Nelson's goals are to help businesses further build their brand while creating connections with potential new customers.
“The most intriguing aspect of the partnership side of the position is building relationships with local and corporate businesses,” he said. “I'm working to develop meaningful ways to connect the community with the exciting things we're doing at Linfield.”
Nelson intends to explore new opportunities to create a lively, family and student-oriented atmosphere at home athletic events starting this fall.
Linfield football broadcasts will continue to air on radio stations KPDQ-AM in Portland and KSLC-FM in McMinnville.
Photos from Linfield 2015 football season: Kevin Nelson setting up before a Linfield football game by Rusty Rae. Kevin Nelson and color commentator Dave Hansen by Wildcatville.
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Nelson the new voice of the 'Cats
May 10, 2016 McMinnville N-R
Kevin Nelson has been preoccupied academically this spring with his senior project.
Nelson, a senior mass communication major at Linfield College, created a four-part audio documentary of the Linfield football team’s 2015 season. His project beings with the Wildcats recovering from a 2014 loss in the NCAA Division III semifinals to Wisconsin-Whitewater and concludes with “the kick” – Michael Metter’s 32-yard field goal as time expired to vault Linfield over Mary Hardin-Baylor, 38-35, in the D-III quarterfinals December 5, 2015, at Maxwell Field.
The radio call of Metter’s kick is Nelson’s own – he served as the play-by-play man alongside color analyst Dave Hansen for Linfield’s broadcasts on KPDQ 800 AM and KSLC 90.3 FM. Nelson may yet get the chance to make more such calls.
Linfield announced Thursday evening that Nelson had been named “voice of the Wildcats” for the upcoming 2016 football season. Nelson, a sideline reporter for the Wildcats’ radio broadcasts in 2015, called three Linfield games in place of Bill Johnson, who died Nov. 27. Johnson, 71, had been the voice of the Wildcats since 2009 and also called University of Portland men’s basketball games for 23 seasons.
“I think that the opportunity here is greater than any other that I had going on,” said Nelson, who will graduate later this month. “We’re No. 3 (nationally). We’re going to be making another national title run. I like everybody that I work with. We work real well together.”
Nelson told the News-Register in an interview Saturday that he was formally hired for the position in February (“We just wanted to keep it under control since I was still a student,” he explained. “My plate was way too full to even start working”) and will assist with advertising and marketing surrounding the radio broadcasts. He served as a play-by-play voice for Linfield baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball games for KSLC, Linfield’s student radio station.
A Linfield media release noted that broadcasts will continue to air on KPDQ and KSLC, which entered into agreements with the college before the 2015 season. It is not clear if Hansen, Linfield’s longtime analyst, will remain in his position. “I hope he is because I love working with the guy,” Nelson said. “I think we both make each other so much better.”
Nelson is operating as an independent contractor, an arrangement common in broadcasting, though he said that he, Wildcats athletic director Scott Carnahan and sports information director Kelly Bird may explore hiring him as a Linfield staff member in the future. He will certainly be one of the youngest radio broadcasters not attending the football team’s institution in the country; Nelson turned 22 on Dec. 11, 2015, the night before Linfield played the University of St. Thomas in the 2015 D-III semifinals.
“People are going to look at a 22-year-old kid and go, ‘He’s not gonna get it.’ This is not a one-stop shop and move onto the next thing. This is what I’m all in on,” Nelson said.
“Our program really has this community feel to it. Just the opportunity with saying, we want to help you as much as you are helping us, and making a partnership, that’s the most important thing.”
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Kevin Nelson as an Enumclaw, Wash., High School student. As a baseball player for the Enumclaw Hornets, he was an outfielder, infielder and right-handed pitcher:
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Kevin Nelson as an Enumclaw, Wash., High School student. As a baseball player for the Enumclaw Hornets, he was an outfielder, infielder and right-handed pitcher:
