Gerry Sandusky is making a significant life change. After 42 years in broadcasting, the Baltimore Ravens radio voice and WBAL-TV sports director announced last week that he is stepping down. He will officially retire when he signs off from WBAL-TV on April 17.
Sandusky started calling Ravens games as the radio play-by-play announcer in 2006. He has been covering Baltimore sports for the NBC affiliate since 1988. Sandusky is also known for his catchphrase, “The hay is in the barn,” which he used to celebrate every Ravens victory.
We recently caught up with Sandusky, 64, to discuss his retirement and reflect on his career.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: Did you realize this was the end after the Ravens’ season finale?
Gerry Sandusky: “I did. Last September, my daughter gave birth to twins. I couldn’t be there with my wife when we became grandparents. I couldn’t be there for my daughter. I had to wait a month or five weeks to go out to San Diego, where she lives, to see the babies, my grandkids, because I had to wait for the bye week. And then I had to turn around and come back. I didn’t get to see them for the rest of the season.
“It’s hard to explain until that moment arrives in your life when something you have loved doing, and I have loved doing these games and these broadcasts, gets eclipsed by what you know is now the new center of your universe.”
How did you tell others?
“When the Ravens played their last game of the season in Pittsburgh, I was walking back to the hotel. My son was with Rod Woodson and me. I said, ‘Rod, that’s my last broadcast,’and I told him why. He’s a grandparent, so he understands. It was a tough moment because we’re really good friends. But I knew from that point forward that I was not going to be able to live my life based on which direction the football schedule sent me. And that I wanted to live my life based on the direction my family needed me.”
The hay is in the barn!
Congratulations on your retirement after a terrific career, Gerry. 💜 pic.twitter.com/8eUGuEuw03
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 1, 2026
After the announcement was made public, did you hear from someone you weren’t expecting?
“I’ve heard from many of my former interns, Ian Eagle, every broadcast partner I’ve worked with on Ravens games, politicians, business leaders, and people in our community. I even heard from someone in Greece who listens to the games and follows me online. When someone from another country reaches out to share their gratitude, it’s humbling.”
What do you recall about your first regular-season game with the Ravens?
“Haloti Ngata making an interception in Tampa. God, he must have been the size of a rhinoceros. I’ve never seen a defensive lineman that big, that fast, that athletic. But it was about 100 degrees in the Tampa sun, and as he got close to the end zone, he just ran out of gas and almost fell out of bounds.”
What’s your best memory from broadcasting Ravens games?
“I’ll always remember walking through the tunnels under the stadiums and walking on the field before the game. My dad was a longtime NFL coach, John Sandusky. When I started my broadcasting career in Miami, he was the Dolphins’ offensive line coach. Before every game, we would sit on the bench and catch up on the week. Long before pregame warm-ups, we would sit there for half an hour and catch up. My dad died the year I got this job, and before every single game I broadcast, no matter the weather, I would always walk the field and think about my dad. That’s what I’ll remember.”
The hay is in the barn! 🗣️
Congrats on an iconic @Ravens broadcasting career, @GerrySandusky pic.twitter.com/Tiz4A2H5Sk
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) April 1, 2026
What is the community of NFL play-by-play voices like?
“It’s a tight fraternity. Wes Durham with the Falcons and Brad Sham with the Cowboys put together a text thread to connect us all. All 32 of the NFL’s play-by-play guys are connected on a text thread. It has become a powerful thing because we all share our successes. Guys have gone through illness, and we’re here to support each other. Guys will ask, ‘Hey, what do you use for this? What’s the angle like in that booth?’ We all share scouting reports. ‘What restaurant should I try in this town?’ It’s such a neat thing.”
How difficult has it been to share the same-sounding name — just spelled differently — as the convicted former Penn State coach?
“It was challenging, especially in the first couple of years. People always said, ‘Hey, why didn’t you change your name?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s not my name to change.’ I hold it in stewardship, not ownership. With my luck, I would have changed it to Bernie Madoff or something like that. You never know what somebody else is going to do with your name. That’s always been the elephant in the room. But my wife, Lee Ann, was the one who really helped me dial it down to a six-word mantra I use when I meet people: ‘It’s Gerry with a G, no relation.’ Drop the mic, everybody gets it, they smile, and you move on.”
Can you tell us about your organization, The Sandusky Group?
“Many years ago, I recognized by being at a thousand banquets that many talented businesspeople often get up in front of audiences or do interviews and stumble all over themselves, be uncomfortable, and send the entirely wrong message out about who they were, and what their brand was. We’ve grown this company that shows leaders how to identify their brand, deliver their brand, and be their brand across all platforms through communication skills, whether they’re communicating in small or large groups, in person, on camera, or on Zoom. Much like broadcasting, you’re helping people have a better experience.”
Celebrating a Baltimore Sports Legend: Gerry Sandusky announces retirement. “I have loved sharing the stories that shape Baltimore sports with viewers, and I have loved every minute of sharing Ravens games with listeners.” https://t.co/2dv9w4Nng8 pic.twitter.com/bRrIaRkoHP
— WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) April 1, 2026
How many times have you heard ‘the hay is in the barn’ recently?
“I was driving into work when my good friend and neighbor across the street, whom I’ve known for four decades, walked out his door, looked up, and said, ‘Guess the hay is in the barn, huh?’ I was getting on a plane, flying home from Austin after delivering a seminar earlier in the week, and there must have been about 15 people on the plane who walked up to me and said, ‘The hay’s in the barn,’ which is a really cool thing.”
What will you do with your Sundays now?
“Anything I want. Honestly, it’s really about what we’re doing as a family. I’m sure some of them will be together, and we’ll watch whatever games are on. Some of them, my wife and I, I promise you, we’ll be traveling, and we’ll be in places where there are no football games. It’ll probably be a lot of Sundays spent in the parks with my grandkids, playing whatever they want. And sports will be very much secondary, in the background, and something we still very much share as a family. But it’s no longer going to be the lead dog on the sled.”
