Philadelphia City Council honors Eagles announcer Merrill Reese for 50 seasons

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia City Council honored radio legend Merrill Reese with a special resolution on Thursday as he marked his 50th season calling Eagles games, according to council members.

Philadelphia honors a broadcasting icon and Eagles legend

What we know:

Merrill Reese has been the voice of the Philadelphia Eagles since 1977, and council members recognized him for this milestone during a ceremony at City Hall. Councilman Isaiah Thomas said, "When you think of what it means to be the voice of a city…what it means to be the voice of the league."

Council members each read a proclamation honoring Reese’s long career and deep connections to Philadelphia.

According to the proclamation, Reese was born in Philadelphia in 1942 and grew up in Overbrook Park. Reese earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Temple University's Klein College of Communication. His passion for the game has remained strong throughout his career, council members said. Reese is now the longest play-by-play announcer in NFL history.

What they're saying:

Reese thanked everyone for the honor, but said the real honor is broadcasting to Eagles fans.

"You let yourself go. You rock the stadium with tremendous enthusiasm, tremendous tremendous passion. That's the biggest thing; your passion is so great," said Reese. When recalling the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in Minneapolis in 2018, Reese said, "I could see the ball go through the air. I remember Rodney McLeod, Rodney jumped up and Rodney touched the ball and down it went. As the ball hit the ground, I said 'Incomplete, the game is over. The Philadelphia Eagles are super Bowl Champions'. The next thing that came into my mind was Eagles fans everywhere. This is for you."

Reese also described what it feels like to call games: "You get behind the microphone and your veins tingle, you get the excitement every single week. It's great." He closed his thanks with his signature send-off: "Go Birds... Cheering."