(Photo courtesy of Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers) (Photo courtesy of Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
By Michael Grant on

Tony Castricone went from being a high schooler working in a small-town ice cream shop to eventually landing a prestigious sports broadcasting job.

Last month, Castricone was named the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new radio play-by-play announcer. The 44-year-old succeeds Gene Deckerhoff, who retired after nearly four decades as the franchise’s voice.

Castricone has no ties to Florida and no prior NFL experience. However, he had been the University of Washington’s Director of Broadcasting for the past nine years. In that role, he served as the radio play-by-play voice for the Huskies’ football and men’s basketball teams.

In a serendipitous twist, the Ohio native and Ohio University alum will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Buccaneers visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 13. His hometown of Centerburg is 144 miles from Paycor Stadium. We recently caught up with Castricone to discuss his new gig.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

How was the cross-country move?

Tony Castricone: “It takes quite a while for things to get from Seattle to Tampa, and you never know when you open that moving truck how it’s all going to look or fit together. So, it was an adventure. We loaded the moving truck on a Friday and then, on a Saturday, flew to my parents’ home in Columbus, Ohio. They have a little farm north of the city, so we had some family time for a week while everything made its way across the country and then arrived. We opened it up, tried to find a place for everything, and then got to work at One Buccaneer Place. So, it has been a whirlwind for sure, and it’s a process. We’re not done yet, but all is well.”

Will you be nervous for the regular-season opener?

“Anytime I do something for the first time, there are nerves, and that goes all the way back to being at Washington. If they asked me to emcee an event, or like the first time I did the Hall of Fame banquet, anytime there’s a first, no matter how big or small, I just want it to go really well. There are always some nerves, and for me, what comes with them is obsessive preparation. I want to know every detail. I want to do everything I possibly can to set it up for success. The first regular-season game will, in some ways, be a first, but what I love about the NFL is the preseason, so the first time in the format will be the first preseason game on the road against the Jets. Then that format rinses and repeats, and once you get into the first regular-season game, you have the luxury of a 53-man roster instead of 90, and you’ve already had the reps.”

How exciting is it that your NFL regular-season debut will be in your home state?

“Yeah, I’m definitely going to have my parents drive down and meet me at the team hotel the night before the game, and that’s going to be a really cool touch of home. I didn’t grow up a Bengals fan, but I have lots of friends and family who like the Browns and the Bengals, so it is neat. It’s weird how you find those things when you’re new in a market. They do make it feel a little bit like home. My first year in Washington was the first year in Husky history when they went to the Rose Bowl and the NCAA tournament in the same year. Not only did we get to do some really cool things at a high level, but the Rose Bowl was against Ohio State, and the NCAA tournament site was in Columbus. Both of those were pretty neat.”

How did you land this opportunity?

“I had a connection to the search firm, which helped put me on the radar. That got me at least a foot in the door for a phone call. I felt the call went well, and it progressed to step two, step three, and all the way to coming here to do an audition with Dave Moore and to meet some of the C-suite folks in the final process. I was just blessed that they felt about me the way I felt about them, and then there’s the family aspect. My wife is a Southern California girl, and she loves beaches and palm trees. She was very excited about this idea. There aren’t a ton of places in America where you can call NFL games and have proximity to a beach, palm trees, and sunshine year-round.”

So this wasn’t about trying to climb the career ladder and get any NFL job?

“We weren’t just peppering around applications. …It’s very much what would be a great fit for the family, a big step forward that is a no-doubter. From a career standpoint, I was very happy at the University of Washington. I loved my nine years there and was sad to leave in many ways, but this is just so good. It’s something you just can’t pass up, and it’s something the whole family was on board with.”

How did you find out you got the job?

“They called on a Monday and said, ‘Can you get here this week?’ I had a commitment on Thursday, so I said yes, but with a six-hour cross-country flight, I’d have to come tomorrow. I said, ‘Here’s a 6 a.m. flight I could be on tomorrow morning. Does this work for you?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, come on down.’ So I did the interview the next morning on Wednesday, super jet-lagged, got home Wednesday night, passed out hard, and woke up around 5 a.m. There was a text from HR saying, ‘Do you have a minute for a phone call this morning?’ I nudged my wife and said, ‘Babe, look at this text.’ She was like, ‘All right, have some coffee first.’ So I poured a cup of coffee, called back, got the offer, got off the phone, hugged my wife, and cried. It was one of the most special moments for our family.”

Do you feel any pressure about taking over for Gene Deckerhoff?

“There’s always pressure you put on yourself because you understand how great he was and what a void is left when someone vacates a position they’ve been in for 37 years. You want to do the best job you can serving the fans and giving them a great show, so there’s pressure. But I’ve got a great family, and they do a great job of reminding me that I’m not a first responder; this isn’t firefighter, police, or military stuff. You get to talk about football for a living, and you should put on a smile and have a blast doing it with the same passion you always have. It’s going to be fun.”

Have you heard from Gene since the announcement?

“He called me very quickly after the news came out that morning, said congratulations, and it was great to catch up with him. He’s called me multiple times since, which has been awesome. He’s excited for my family and me, and it’s always great to hear from him.”

Did you always expect to get into broadcasting?

“I was working at an ice cream store during my junior or senior year of high school, and I was kind of at a crossroads. I love sports, but I wasn’t talented enough to make a career out of it as an athlete, and I was really into sports journalism. I was super into stats, very nerdy about sports, and again, I had no connections. I had no idea how to embark on a process that might get me there someday. It seemed a little overwhelming for a kid from a 46-acre pine tree farm in Centerburg, Ohio. So I was thinking I would become a teacher and a high school coach, and that would be it. But I thought maybe I could go to college and major in broadcasting, and maybe that might get me there someday…

“For like every day for probably two weeks straight, I’d say, ‘Hey, welcome to Graeter’s. What can I get for you?’ And someone would stop and be like, ‘You’ve got a good voice. You should get into broadcasting.’ I took that as a little sign. Maybe I should give it a shot.”

Have you considered having Graeter’s shipped to your new Tampa home?

“It would probably melt. I don’t know if any dry ice in the world would get it here in one piece. But that’s a good question. You know what? Graeter’s is headquartered in Cincinnati, so, to bring this whole thing full circle, maybe I know what I’m going to do the night before the game.”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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