PADUCAH — For Murray State fans, when they close their eyes and listen to Racer men's basketball, they hear Neal Bradley. For 32-years, Bradley provided life and a voice for the Racers on the radio.
"I thought if I could somehow fool them into thinking I knew what I was doing, last for maybe five years, I would be happy with it," Bradley said about the start of his career. "Then got to 6, then 7, then suddenly it was 32 years."
Bradley called it a career following the end of this past season, with travel and time away from family being the reason.
"It wasn't difficult," he said. "I knew it was coming."
While Bradley says he hasn't reflected on his career, we can thanks to the amazing calls he left behind.
"To call a buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament was every broadcasters dream," Bradley said about his call during the 2010 NCAA win for the Racers over Vanderbilt.
Bradley does say he has finally realized the impact his voice has had on those that have listened to him, especially for their entire lives.
"I met someone, a lady around 22 years old," he said. "She said, you can't not do it because you are the only voice I have ever heard and it never clicked in my mind that to her, I was the voice."
Now Bradley gets his turn to sit and listen like the rest of us.
"I have reached the point where I want to be a fan," he said. "It was a dream of mine. Not many get to live that dream and I was able to do that."
While Bradley won't be heard calling Murray State basketball games, he still will call Racer football games going forward.
