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Bill Hillgrove, 83, announced Thursday that he
is retiring from the job he accepted in 1994 after being
hand-picked by late owner Dan Rooney. He spent 30 years in the
role, replacing Jack Fleming, who had held the job for 39.
"Bill Hillgrove's contributions to both the Steelers Radio
Network and the Steelers organization have spanned nearly three
decades that included him serving as our play-by-play announcer
for four Super Bowl appearances and countless other memorable
games during his tenure," team president Art Rooney II said in a
team statement Thursday. "He has played a major role in
broadcasting to our amazing fans on our radio network, but he
also found time to be part of so many special events since he
began working alongside the great Myron Cope on the airwaves in
1994. Bill will truly be missed by Steelers Nation, but we are
excited for him and his family to enjoy his retirement."
Hillgrove has lived in Pittsburgh throughout his life, bring
raised in the Garfield section, graduating from high school and
then studying sports broadcasting at Duquesne. He said he
intends to continue calling Pitt basketball games, which he has
been doing full-time since 1970, and Pitt football, which he
started in 1974.
"As to the next chapter of my life, I'll do Pitt football, and
I'll do Pitt basketball because my brother is the engineer, and
we room together on the road," Hillgrove said.
"Like we did as kids growing up in Garfield, we're sharing the
same bedroom, only this one's bigger. I have all of July almost
all of August to myself now. Every once in a while if the
Steelers aren't playing on Sunday, I can get on a boat and enjoy
the fall foliage at Conneaut Lake, which I was never able to do
before. So it's all very positive in that way."
--Field Level Media
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