NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For so many who cheer on the two tone blue, the person who commands the microphone at Nissan Stadium isn't just background noise. In many ways, they provide the soundtrack to their Sunday afternoons.
"You need someone who is articulate, you can understand, they need to understand the game of football so as the plays happen, you have to be able to read the play, give the information in a quick timely manner," said David Schindler, Senior Director and Executive Producer for Event Presentation and and Production for the Tennessee Titans.
That's why, when longtime Titans announcer Mike "The Duke" Donegan retired in 2020 after two decades behind the microphone, the Titans front office knew they needed to get this one right.
"So we got close to 200 applications initially, and through an internal process we narrowed it down to 21 semi-finalists," explained Schindler.
Those semi-finalists were invited to come audition in person at Nissan Stadium, for a judges panel sitting in the stands. The panel ultimately picked six finalists.
Click here to see their audition videos and to vote for your favorite.
Dave Joseph is currently a radio personality and public address announcer in Los Angeles but is willing to relocate to Nashville. "I was part of the LA Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Championship run,' Joseph explained in his entry video for the Titans.
Mike Markham is also from out of state, but has been doing public address announcing for decades, including at the 2016 Rio Olympics. "No one has the experience, talent, skill and passion I do for this job," he said in his entry video.
Joe Deyo is currently the voice of Independence High School's basketball and football teams and lives in Spring Hill. "I can bring the energy, let’s go, vote for me," he told Titans fans on their website.
Kristopher Freeman is also a recognizable voice in Middle Tennessee as the current public address announcer for Vanderbilt's Men and Women's Basketball programs. He's also previously announced for Trevecca, Lipscomb, Cumberland University and as the yearly voice of the BlueCross Basketball Championships for basketball and baseball. "Vote for me and I’m looking forward to being a hometown guy in the booth for the Tennessee Titans," he said during his entry video.
Storme Warren hosts the morning show on Siruis XM's The Highway and has called Nashville home for 30 years. He's also been the emcee for various events around town. "To be able to have a chance to be the voice of the Titans -- perfect -- it would be incredible," said Warren during his video segment.
Matt Rogers played football for the University of Washington, worked as a TV football play by play and sideline reporter for Turner Sports College Football and currently does voice-over work for various TV shows. He also has experience being a PA announcer for several high school and college programs. "I have to have this because I’m home and I want to be home with you for the next 30 years," he told fans in his video.
So who gets to become the next stadium voice of the Tennessee Titans? That's where the fans come in. "I thought it was important that our fans have a say in this," said Schindler.
Fans can vote for their favorite online, which will be taken into consideration, but the final say still lies with the team. "It is a difficult decision. It’s a great decision to have to make because we have a lot of really good options at our disposal," said Schindler.
It's good they have great options, because whoever wins could end up narrating our Sundays at Nissan Stadium for years to come.
Fan voting is open until Saturday at 5 pm. The team hopes to announce their selection before the NFL Draft next week.
