The University of Mississippi Athletics
Kellum Named Mississippi Sportscaster Of The Year
3/17/2005 | Athletics
March 17, 2005
For the fourth time in the past seven years, David Kellum, the radio play-by-play voice of the Ole Miss Rebels, has been named Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association (NSSA). Members annually elect one print and one radio/television winner from each of the 50 states. Winners will be announced at the 44th annual NSAA convention in April at Salisbury, N.C.
Kellum, a longtime native of Oxford, is in his 16th season as the "Voice of the Rebels" and has been associated with Ole Miss broadcasts for 27 years. He became the play-by-play announcer for Rebel baseball as a freshman student at Ole Miss in 1978.
"When you are chosen by others in your profession, it is really special," Kellum said. "I am honored to be the 2004 winner."
The Kellum family is well ingrained in Ole Miss. David is the nephew of Vice Chancellor Dr. Gloria Kellum and her husband Jerry Kellum, who recently retired as head of the Central Ticket Office, and Court Reporting Professor Janice (Kellum) Bounds. His mother and father retired from the University a few years ago. Helen was a Professor of Theatre and Glenn served in Financial Aid and Placement. A late grandfather and a number of other relatives graduated and/or worked at Ole Miss.
"Because of my family ties to Ole Miss, and our love for the school, I have always considered this position not only a play-by-play job, but also an ambassadorship both athletically and academically," Kellum said.
Of the 12 lead announcers in the Southeastern Conference, only four announce all three major sports (football, basketball, and baseball) and of those four, Kellum is the only one that is a graduate of the school. "I consider that unique and as 'one of us' I feel I carry added responsibility to represent my personal family and my Ole Miss family on several fronts. Our coaches and athletes are second to none and our University is second to none. I try to express that on and off the air whenever I can."
As Kellum continues to handle play-by-play duties for Ole Miss, he also is teaching on campus this semester. He is the instructor for Journalism 386, an Advertising/Sales class that has nearly 30 students. "I have seen our Journalism Department and the Student Media Center combine to become one of the best environments in the country to learn and get hands-on experience," he said. "I am glad to be able to assist in any way I can toward that success."
Kellum is the host of the coaches' weekly radio and television shows and has been the master of ceremonies for several Ole Miss events, both athletically and academically.
Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger was selected by the NSAA as 2004 Mississippi Sportswriter of the Year.