Tennessee Spanish-language radio crew delivers electric call of Joey Aguilar’s 73-yard TD pass
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Tennessee’s Spanish-language station provided some wonderful flavor to a wonderful afternoon of football, as Joey Aguilar delivered in his debut for the No. 24 Volunteers in a 45-26 season-opening victory over Syracuse in Atlanta.
Aguilar, who won the starting quarterback job in fall camp, made good on that in his first game by throwing for 247 yards on 16-of-28 passing with 3 touchdown throws in a dominant performance that had everyone raving — fans and announcers alike. But while the announcers on ABC had the English-language call for the nationally televised neutral-site game, the Spanish-language call gave Volunteers fans something a little different.
Specifically, it was Carlos Lopez, the play-by-play announcer for Tennessee football’s Spanish-language telecast, whose call of Aguilar’s first touchdown pass in a Tennessee uniform was as entertaining as the touchdown itself. Aguilar connected with freshman Braylon Staley in stride on a beautiful 73-yard touchdown strike with 11:14 left in the second quarter, giving the Volunteers a commanding 24-7 lead and answering a Syracuse touchdown scored just 26 seconds earlier.
Lopez, the creator of “Vamos Vols,” was on the microphone and primed to give listeners the extra flavor that a Spanish-language football TD call can only provide.
He did just that, and here is the video of his call:
Aguilar threw 2 more touchdown passes on Saturday after that magical first one, and he’ll surely throw a lot more this season. But the first one is usually the most special one, and Lopez’s call made it even more special for anyone listening at that moment or in the aftermath of the big victory.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
