Remembering the legendary Paul James

Legendary sportscaster Paul James, the longtime Voice of the Cougars and KSL-TV and radio broadcaster, passed away at his home on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the age of 87 following a long illness.

James was an icon in the broadcast world and across Cougar Nation. In the rich history of BYU football and basketball, there have been many accomplished individuals who have broadcast BYU athletic contest to fans around the world, but there has only been one Paul James. He was the 'Voice of the Cougars' from 1965-2000 and called many of the legendary moments in BYU football and basketball history. 

In today’s world of sports broadcasting it is remarkable that James—a former sports anchor at KSL Television—was the “Voice of the Cougars for football and basketball for 35 years. Via KSL’s 50,000-watt radio broadcasts, PJ, as many called him, provided play-by-play accounts and commentary for more than 400 football games and over 900 basketball contests. As much of Cougar Nation can attest, his colorful descriptions of BYU football and basketball reached far beyond the Intermountain West to distant points of the country.

A native of Ogden, Utah, James attended the University of Utah where he majored in English and speech. Although he graduated in 1953, his radio career began in 1950—just about the time television was taking root in Salt Lake City.  Gravitating to sports coverage during his career, James eventually spent six years calling University of Utah games before joining KSL in 1965 to call BYU games and work as the sports director for KSL-TV, a position he held until 1991. 

In his extensive travels with BYU teams, James provided word pictures from nearly every part of the country. He also found himself in the company of many legendary coaches and players and interviewed a host of celebrity sports figures. Whether it was a game-stopping demonstration by protesters on the basketball court in Fort Collins or rhubarb with fanatic fans in El Paso, James kept his audiences informed.

Late in his career, while broadcasting a BYU-Utah football game from Rice Eccles Stadium, James suffered a heart attack. However, he refused further examination or treatment until the game was over. Only when the game was in the books did he go to the hospital.

In addition to his broadcast duties, James was engaged in many other activities. For example, he spent 20 years as chairman of both the Utah Heisman Trophy Selection Committee and the John Wooden Award Selection Committee. James was also one of the top tournament bridge players in Utah, an avid oil-painter who sold prints of more than 100 of his works, and a Lifetime Golden Cougar.

In 1999 he received the Lindsay Nelson Sportscaster Award and a year later was named to the Utah Broadcaster Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 2005.

Paul would always say that he couldn’t have accomplished all he did without a lot of help. His wife, Annette, and their children—Steve, Susan, Cindy, and Cheri—all made their share of sacrifices to provide time for his extensive assignments, when his voice became the means by which millions of BYU fans “saw” the games they couldn’t attend.

The successor to Paul as the Voice of the Cougars, BYU’s director of broadcast media Greg Wrubell, was mentored by James for nine seasons as his sideline reporter during football broadcasts. Wrubell offered this tribute to Paul:

“For generations of BYU supporters, "Voice of the Cougars" is a title that could really only belong to one person, and it was Paul James. May his countless fans and his dear family members be comforted by their memories of "PJ" and the many ways in which he enriched their lives.

“He meant a great deal to me, and I would not have the career I do now were it not for him. He was a magnificent mentor, and a wonderful man.

“To say Paul James taught me everything I know is true; I learned how to prepare for a broadcast by watching him prepare. Literally every facet of my routine goes back to PJ's practices. Observation allowed me to mirror Paul's habits, but one could never duplicate his delivery.”

James retired from the broadcast booth in 2000, finishing his career the same season as legendary BYU football head coach LaVell Edwards. His final call of the Cougars came in BYU’s victory over Utah in Salt Lake City in the final game for both Paul and LaVell.

BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe first got to know Paul as a defensive back for the Cougars from 1978-1982. He fondly remembers the great impact James had on him.

“For 35 years Paul James was the iconic "Voice of the Cougars.” In those days, he was every bit a part of the BYU Football Family as the players and coaches. Personally, he was my friend; much more than a broadcaster.

“At his passing, I’m so grateful for all he did to help build the BYU Football brand. So many of Cougar Nation were glued to their radios and you became part of the family too. Peace be with Paul’s dear family.”