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possible time, but it needed to be told. Even in disbelief at the words leaving his mouth, he confirmed the reports live on air without speculation: “Obviously, this will be the topic of discussion tonight, tomorrow, and for a long time after that.” His voice may have been shredded, but his reaction was genuine, like a fan learning the news in real time. “The way that I have handled crazy things happening on air is the thing I’m most proud of,” Rakestraw said. “My ability to shift focus and realize the thing that I thought was the most important is no longer important.” In broadcasting, chaos appears in many forms. When a coach resigned live on air, acting as if Rakestraw were his boss, Rakestraw kept the show rolling. “After the Andrew Luck situation, that was nothing,” he added. In a more frightening scenario, when gunshots rang out in the middle of a high school football game, he went from being a sports announcer to a news reporter. His mentor, Scott Uecker, former WICR general manager, praised Rakestraw’s composure in handling the situation professionally.
Greg Rakestraw ’98 (Communication) was living a play-by- play announcer’s worst nightmare. Battling a week-long illness, his most important tool—his voice—was barely holding together. The booming delivery Hoosiers knew so well sounded unfamiliar, even to him. After coughing out what he could, he still made it to the microphone. A game still needed to be called. Being an Indianapolis Colts preseason matchup, it seemed low-stakes, at least at first. His voice was steady enough in the fourth quarter, but then there was a moment that turned Lucas Oil Stadium cold. Confusion rippled through the crowd. Fans pulled out their phones, searching for answers. On the field, players looked lost for words. A report began circulating on social media, one no one saw coming. Star quarterback Andrew Luck, just 29 years old and in the prime of his career, was retiring. The game clock moved on as if nothing had happened, but inside the broadcast booth, time seemed to pause. The biggest story of Rakestraw’s career came at the worst
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UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
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