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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<\/a>. He will officially retire when he signs off from WBAL-TV on April 17.<\/span><\/p>\n 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, \u201cThe hay is in the barn,\u201d which he used to celebrate every Ravens victory.<\/p>\n We recently caught up with Sandusky, 64, to discuss his retirement and reflect on his career.<\/p>\n Note:<\/strong> This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. <\/em><\/p>\n Awful Announcing: Did you realize this was the end after the Ravens\u2019 season finale?<\/b><\/p>\n Gerry Sandusky:<\/strong> \u201cI did. Last September, my daughter gave birth to twins. I couldn\u2019t be there with my wife when we became grandparents. I couldn\u2019t 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\u2019t get to see them for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n How did you tell others?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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, \u2018Rod, that\u2019s my last broadcast,\u2019and I told him why. He\u2019s a grandparent, so he understands. It was a tough moment because we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The hay is in the barn! <\/p>\n Congratulations on your retirement after a terrific career, Gerry. \ud83d\udc9c pic.twitter.com\/8eUGuEuw03<\/a><\/p>\n
After the announcement was made public, did you hear from someone you weren\u2019t expecting?<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard from many of my former interns, Ian Eagle, every broadcast partner I\u2019ve 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\u2019s humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you recall about your first regular-season game with the Ravens?<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cHaloti Ngata making an interception in Tampa<\/a>. God, he must have been the size of a rhinoceros. I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s your best memory from broadcasting Ravens games?<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll 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\u2019 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<\/a> 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\u2019s what I\u2019ll remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The hay is in the barn! \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f<\/p>\n Congrats on an iconic @Ravens<\/a> broadcasting career, @GerrySandusky<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Tiz4A2H5Sk<\/a><\/p>\n
What is the community of NFL play-by-play voices like?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019re here to support each other. Guys will ask, \u2018Hey, what do you use for this? What\u2019s the angle like in that booth?\u2019 We all share scouting reports. \u2018What restaurant should I try in this town?\u2019 It\u2019s such a neat thing.\u201d<\/p>\n How difficult has it been to share the same-sounding name \u2014 just spelled differently \u2014 as the convicted former Penn State coach?<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cIt was challenging, especially in the first couple of years. People always said, \u2018Hey, why didn\u2019t you change your name?\u2019 I said, \u2018Well, it\u2019s not my name to change.\u2019 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\u2019s 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: \u2018It\u2019s Gerry with a G, no relation.\u2019 Drop the mic, everybody gets it, they smile, and you move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Can you tell us about your organization,\u00a0<\/strong>The Sandusky Group<\/strong><\/a>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany 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\u2019ve 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\u2019re communicating in small or large groups, in person, on camera, or on Zoom. Much like broadcasting, you\u2019re helping people have a better experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Celebrating a Baltimore Sports Legend: Gerry Sandusky announces retirement. \u201cI have loved sharing the stories that shape Baltimore sports with viewers, and I have loved every minute of sharing Ravens games with listeners.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/2dv9w4Nng8<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bRrIaRkoHP<\/a><\/p>\n
How many times have you heard \u2018the hay is in the barn\u2019 recently?<\/b><\/p>\n \n
\n\u2014 Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u2014 NFL Films (@NFLFilms) April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u2014 WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n