Williams: Wyoming's King leaves legacy we all should strive to achieve

Jeff King left a legacy we all should strive to achieve.

He was nice to everyone. He loved his family. He loved his community, showing it most through his unwavering commitment to Wyoming High School as the Cowboys’ long-time public-address announcer.

And King was consistent in doing all those things, his family, friends and former Wyoming coaches told The Enquirer.

King announced nearly 3,000 Wyoming sporting events in almost four decades behind the mic, using his voice to impact generations the same way his father, Nelson King, did as a legendary country music disc jockey on Cincinnati's WCKY radio station.

Jeff King died on Jan. 28. He was 76. The social media tributes from Wyoming residents, current and former coaches and athletes, referees and opposing team coaches and fans have beautifully captured his impact.

Long-time Wyoming High School public-address announcer Jeff King, left, and his son, Jeff, a former Wyoming football player and athletic director, were inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2022.

As a Wyoming resident, I can attest to this. My friend, Marc Brafman, who worked alongside King in the football press box, and others in the neighborhood have always spoken highly of King's kindness and commitment to our school and community.

"Honestly, one of the nicest human beings I ever met," said Madeira football coach Chris Stewart, a former Wyoming teacher and assistant coach. "What he did creates a culture in the community. It was always about the kids. He helped others in his role, and that leaves a legacy."

At the risk of sounding cliche, King was the type of person who makes high school sports such a special part of a community. He was the resident and parent who got asked to help do a role that required him to give up lots of nights and weekends. King, a 1967 Wyoming graduate, gladly took on public-address announcing, running the clock and keeping the scorebook for any sport he was asked to do.

He called football, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' lacrosse, girls' volleyball and boys' and girls' basketball games. Sometimes, he'd do public address, run the clock and keep official statistics for a game.

King became part of the fabric of one of the best high school football programs in the state, with his distinct, crisp and nasally voice beloved by generations of Wyoming families.

"That voice was so good," said King's son, Jeff, a former Cowboys football star. "He got asked if he’d be interested in doing it in 1987. He instantly fell in love with it. He continued to perfect his craft. No matter what sport it was, he was so committed to making sure everyone had an incredible experience at the game."

The elder King's love of the Cowboys was instilled in his three children, all of whom were athletes at Wyoming. The younger Jeff served as the school's athletic director for a few years before leaving for a private-sector job in 2023. Father and son were inducted together into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2022.

"It was a way of life for us," the younger Jeff said. "Dad’s got a game tonight. So, we’d all go, my mom and my two sisters. I'd sit in the press box with him sometimes."

An Air Force veteran who served two tours in Vietnam, the elder King spent most of his career as a mortgage loan officer. But he fell in love with announcing at a young age. He'd sometimes go to work with his father, who worked at WCKY and other radio stations in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

The late Nelson King, a member of the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame, would sometimes have Jeff do the on-air sports update during the news breaks. Those opportunities helped prepare Jeff for his public-address work.

Tom Brown worked alongside King in the football press box as his spotter for about 17 seasons and called him a "straight shooter." Brown was impressed by how committed King was to the craft. King made sure before every game to go down on the field and check with opposing coaches the correct pronunciation of players' and coaches' names. He got to know officials and opposing coaches who'd call plays from the press box, and some of them offered tributes on social media.

“He was always so positive to both teams," said legendary former Wyoming football coach Bernie Barre, who grew up down the street from King. "He never tried to be a homer. He was fair to both teams. He announced the game and nothing else.”

King took great pride in doing that.

“You’re not a cheerleader,” he told Spectrum News in 2023. “You are to announce the game and announce the action. That’s it.”

And King did that even when his own children were playing. Jeff's daughters, Jen and Becky, played soccer. He called his son's football games. They were all treated like every other athlete on the field.

The elder Jeff King maintained his professionalism amid a devastating injury his son suffered during a game in 2005. The younger King went down with a neck injury and couldn't move his legs. His dad left the press box and went with his wife, Kathy, and their son in the ambulance to the hospital.

The younger Jeff stayed the night in the hospital, and there was concern he was paralyzed from the waist down. He started to regain feeling late the following afternoon. The younger Jeff went on to be a defensive lineman at Ohio University.

"Jeff was such an optimistic person," Barre said of the elder King. "He kept everyone's spirits up in the hospital."

Just like at the Cowboys games. Just like at home with his family, even as he battled health problems in the past year. The younger Jeff King, 37, calls his dad his "hero." That's the most important legacy any father could hope for.

Jeff is survived by his wife of 44 years, three children, their spouses and eight grandchildren. There will be a visitation, memorial service and celebration of King's life beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

"His voice resonated not only in the gyms and fields," King's obit said, "but also in the hearts of all who had the joy to hear him call the games."