Bill Mercer - Career - Play By Play

Play By Play

In his 60+ year career Mercer provided play-by-play broadcasting for minor league teams first the Muskogee Giants of the Class C Western Association; Dallas Rangers (Triple A baseball) from 1959–64, Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs (Texas League baseball) 1965-1971. He then moved up to broadcast for major league baseball teams Texas Rangers (major league baseball) in 1972 (with Don Drysdale) and Chicago White Sox in 1974. Mercer also provided play-by-play for University of North Texas (known as North Texas State until 1989) football and basketball from 1959-1994. Dallas Texans (American Football League in 1960 with Charlie Jones, Dallas Cowboys (National Football League) from 1966-1971 including the team's Super Bowl appearance in 1972. He provided color commentary with Jay Randolph in 1965 for the Dallas Cowboys and then became the play-by-play announcer when Randolph moved to St. Louis. In the 1980s Mercer broadcast Southwest Conference football and basketball for Mutual Radio. He also assisted Mike Capps with play-by-play for the Round Rock Express minor league baseball of the Texas League and currently the Pacific Coast League and the past three years with Scott Garner of the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League. While at KRLD in Dallas he served seven years as color commentator for CBS Radio broadcasts of the Cotton Bowl Classic college football bowl games. He is also famous for calling the famous "Ice Bowl"', the NFL championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in 1967, along with the Cowboys' first two Super Bowl appearances (also for the NFL championship).

During his time at UNT, he called games involving Kevin Adkisson and Steve Williams, who both became professional wrestlers under the names Kevin Von Erich and Stone Cold Steve Austin respectively. He also was the announcer at UNT when Joe Greene was an All American Greene later starred for the Pittsburgh Steelers.