clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Legendary Broadcaster, Former Duke Student Bob Wolff Dies At 96

Started his career at WDNC in 1939

Seattle Mariners v New York Yankees
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Legendary broadcaster Bob Wolff is honored by the Guiness Book of World Records as the longest career as a sportscasster with 74 years 6 months and 8 days before the game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners on May 1, 2014 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Who has a career of 78 years?

The late Bob Wolff, that’s who.

The legendary New York based broadcaster started his career at Durham’s WDNC, in 1939, while a student at Duke.

He went on to what the Guinness Book of World Record’s verifies was the longest broadcast career in history.

That’s so long that he covered or interviewed Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Joe Louis, among others.

Just consider a few more names for perspective: Lou Gehrig, Man O’ War, Byron White as an athlete (he later became a Supreme Court justice), Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bill Bradley, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Dick Barnett, Sonny Liston, Boog Powell, Curt Flood, Secretariat, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Joe Namath, Pele, Dr. J, Bob Knight and Coach K at West Point, Bernard King, Albert King, Walter Berry, Chris Mullin, Sebastian Telfair, Patrick Ewing, John Stark, John McEnroe, George Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, Lawrence Taylor, Eli Manning, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

The man was walking, breathing history.

Wolff died Saturday at the age of 96.

It’s hard to imagine anyone having an equivalent career. The former Duke student went a very long way.