NFF Chris Schenkel Award Recipients
Biography
Named Idaho Sportscaster of the Year 33 times, Bob Curtis' voice was synonymous with Vandal football for nearly five decades.
Hailing from Elberton, Wash., Curtis attended Washington State University and started sportscasting for teams in Idaho, Montana and Washington as a senior. Following graduation, he continued calling games while working on his family's cattle ranch at night. He worked for radio sponsor Tidewater Associated Oil, which currently sponsors Pac-10 games, from 1946-56. Idaho hired Curtis in 1958 as its play-by-play announcer for football and basketball. He remained in the position until his retirement in 2004, following his 540th consecutive football broadcast.
Curtis' favorite memories at UI include the 1998 season finale when the Vandals beat Boise State on a risky two-point play in the last seconds of the game, sending Idaho to the Humanitarian Bowl. He served as the Heisman Trophy's northwest representative for 25 years and is a member of the Inland Empire and the North Idaho Halls of Fame.
A former deacon at Plymouth Congregational Church, he has received numerous accolades as a farmer and cattleman. He resides in Post Falls, Idaho.
