Longtime voice of the Cleveland Browns Jim Donovan, has passed away at the age of 68 after battling leukemia, according to a press release from the Browns.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -
Donovan was first named as the radio “Voice of the Cleveland Browns” in 1999, when the franchise returned, and completed his 25th season in 2023. Over the course of his storied career, Donovan had signature calls that highlighted his career and are permanently etched in Browns lore.
“He kept it real, but he kept a positive tone to it,” Dawson said of Donovan’s calls. “He just always could find that balance – authentic, real, accurate, but he was still supportive, even when there wasn’t a whole lot to support. And I know the players appreciated that. I know I certainly appreciated that. He was always quick to try to provide context, rather than letting people just focus on an individual moment. He just really had a knack for seeing the big picture.
He returned to the radio booth in November for Week 11 of the 2023 season, when he also served as Dawg Pound Captain and smashed a Steelers' themed guitar before kickoff. As he stepped out of the tunnel and in front of the crowd, Donovan broke out in a smile as now-Huntington Bank Field erupted in cheers and applause. Minutes after smashing the guitar, Donovan was up in the radio booth with his headset on, calling the Browns' 13-10 victory over the Steelers.
He followed his dream, as Donovan was a 1978 graduate of Boston University and began his career as a sports director for WJON radio in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Donovan first joined 3News in 1985 as a weekend sports anchor. He became the weeknight sports anchor in 1986 – a position he held until his retirement in 2024 – and was a fixture as both a sports and news anchor over his 39-year career at WKYC.
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