Bill Wilkerson

Bill Wilkerson’s broadcasting career spanned more than four decades in Missouri.

The St. Louis icon called football Cardinals’ games from 1973 until 1987. He was the first African American to do full-time play-by-play for an NFL team.

Bill was also the first African American analyst in the NHL when he called St. Louis Blues hockey, and he served as an analyst for Cardinals baseball and St. Louis Spirits basketball.

As the longtime play-by-play voice of the Missouri Tigers, Bill called the infamous “Fifth Down” play in 1990 when Colorado beat Missouri by scoring the game-winning touchdown as time expired.

While Bill is most remembered for his sports work at KMOX radio in St. Louis, he also served as that station’s morning drive host on “Total Information AM” with partner Wendy Wiese. The team later moved to KTRS radio in St. Louis and spent another decade there together.

Bill died in 2017 at the age of 72.