Longtime Alabama Football play by play announcer Eli Gold sidelined by health issues

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The voice of Alabama Football will sound different at the start of the season.

Eli Gold will be out with health issues to begin the 2022 Crimson Tide football season, Jim Carabin, vice president and general manager of Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, announced Wednesday.

Gold has been the voice of Alabama Football since 1988.

Chris Stewart, who anchors the Tide’s football broadcast and handles play-by-play duties for the Alabama basketball and baseball teams, will fill in for Gold in his absence.

Stewart will also take over the hosting duties for “The Nick Saban Show” and “Hey, Coach” radio broadcasts when it returns on Thursday, August 18.

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban spoke about Eli Gold during the Nick’s Kids Foundation luncheon in Tuscaloosa. “Eli has done a fantastic job being the voice of our iconic brand at the University of Alabama for a long, long time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and we certainly hope he has a speedy recovery. He’s a good friend and he’s been a great ambassador for the University of Alabama, and we appreciate all he’s done more than you know,” Saban said.

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