BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Giving in to peer pressure is often portrayed as a negative, but in the case of Terry Vaughan, it was a good thing.
Sort of like a soccer player scoring a goal or a baseball player hitting a home run.
Vaughan, who was Bradford County’s longtime supervisor of elections before retiring and moving to Thomasville, Georgia, with his wife, Jennifer, is the new public-address announcer for FSU women’s soccer and baseball.
“It’s like coming full circle with my FSU fandom,” said Vaughan, an FSU alumnus who has been an FSU booster and season-ticket holder for football for 41 years and who regularly attends games for other FSU sports.
The opportunity started with a Florida State Seminoles Facebook post seeking applicants interested in being a PA announcer. Donna Commander and Karen Power, who are friends Vaughan has known since he was an elementary school student, shared the Facebook post with him and encouraged him to apply.
Vaughan was play by play announcer for the WEAG 106.3-FM broadcasts of Bradford High School football games for 30 years (1985-2015).
“At the beginning, I just laughed it off and was flattered that they thought that would be something I’d be good at,” Vaughan said.
It turns out they weren’t the only ones who thought it would be something Vaughan would be good at. With so many friends providing encouragement through Facebook, Vaughan said he felt an obligation to look into the position.
“It never hurts to apply,” he said.
The website link attached to the Florida State Seminoles Facebook post provided a sample script that applicants were to read and submit via video.
“I downloaded the script and simply went to the dining-room table and used my cell phone,” Vaughan said. “It was the most simplistic application I suspect Florida State has ever received for public-address announcers.
“I think it took me two takes. I then submitted it.”
It took approximately three days for Vaughan to receive a call from Logan Wesolowski, who is FSU’s assistant director of marketing.
“He said that he liked my audition video and if I was still interested (in the position), they would follow up with me shortly,” Vaughan said.
That follow-up led to Vaughan being hired as the PA announcer for soccer and baseball.
Baptism by fire
He began with an exhibition match against TCU on Aug 9. Vaughan laughed and said FSU “threw me in the deep end.”
“There was a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay,” Vaughan said. “I had no spotter. There was not even a roster provided. It was actually a very good experience. I think they wanted to see how I would react and if I could handle it. I think it turned out well.
“It was kind of a baptism by fire, but I knew if I could get through that game, then most of the other games would be much easier.”
Vaughan admitted his past experiences “put me somewhat at ease” in transitioning to his new role. He wasn’t only the Voice of the Tornadoes for WEAG, but also worked at the station as a morning deejay under the moniker of “Scott in the Morning.” He also served as master of ceremonies for numerous events while living in Starke.
“It was not intimidating for me,” Vaughan said.
Doing play by play for radio is different that stadium announcing, though Vaughan said he discovered through his WEAG broadcasts of road football games that some PA announcers provided play by play and/or color commentary.
“That’s not the way it’s supposed to be,” he said. “PA announcers are supposed to give you the facts after they happen and not get overly emotional and overly chatty.”
In fact, apart from announcing goals scored, free kicks and penalty kicks, Vaughan said he goes through long periods of saying nothing during soccer matches.
“That will not be the case as much in baseball because you have to constantly announce who’s coming to the plate in addition to other scripted announcements that will be provided,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan does have scripted announcements for soccer, too — approximately seven pages worth, covering such things as promotions, sponsorships and upcoming events.
Though he views his role as sticking to the facts, that doesn’t mean Vaughan can’t have some fun with it. He announces FSU soccer scores with an elongated “goooal!” If the score is by senior midfielder/forward Taylor Huff, Vaughan’s call is, “Gooooal, Florida State! Taylor made by Huff!” If the scorer is freshman forward Solai Washington, it’s, “Olé! Olé! Solai!”
“The only time you really get to ad lib (in soccer) is when goals are scored,” Vaughan said.
Announcing FSU baseball is special
Being the PA announcer for soccer is a great opportunity as Vaughan and his wife have been season-ticket holders for the sport for a couple of years now. However, getting the chance to fill the same role in baseball is special for Vaughan.
“My experience with FSU baseball goes way back,” he said. “My first recollection of Florida State baseball was in 1970 when they went to the College World Series and lost in 16 innings to USC for the national championship.”
As a “young lad,” Vaughan became “hooked.” He still remembers players such as Pat Osburn and Mac Scarce from that 1970 team.
Vaughan has followed FSU baseball ever since. He even took a trip to the College World Series in 1995, though the Seminoles dropped two straight games after winning their first.
“It was a bucket-list thing that I checked off,” Vaughan said. “I would like to go back.”
More than anything, he’d love to see FSU finally win that championship that has eluded the Seminoles in 23 trips to the World Series.
“I can tell you, if they ever win the big one, I will probably sit down and cry,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan recently provided the PA duties for his first baseball game, which was an exhibition between the ‘Noles and Alabama on Oct. 26. The program also played an intrasquad Garnet and Gold game on Nov. 1. Vaughan described those opportunities as “a chance to get my feet wet before the actual season starts” on Feb. 14.
A cog in the wheel
As PA announcer, Vaughan is part of FSU’s sports marketing team, which handles various components during games, such as video-bard presentations and on-field promotional events. Vaughan said personnel are located around the event facility, communicating with each other via headsets and making sure everything goes as planned.
“I’m just one small cog in the wheel,” Vaughan said. “It’s amazing to me how many moving pieces there are that are involved that make it all work. The average fan, I do not think, has any real concept of that.”
One of the people coordinating everything that occurs during a game is Bryan Richey, the assistant director for sports marketing and Vaughan’s boss. Since Richey is 24, Vaughan likes to joke with him, asking him, “What’s like working with Grandpa?”
“I think sometimes he doesn’t know how this is supposed to work because I’m so much older, but we have a great relationship,” said Vaughan, whose first boss (before Richey was hired) was 21-year-old Jack Oliaro.
It’s an entire team of people Vaughan described as “young enough to be his grandchildren.”
Vaughan said being surrounded by youth “energizes” him, adding, “These are all talented, young people. Typically, a lot of them are interns, so you’re talking anywhere from 18 to 24 years old. Yet they’re all so talented and all have bright futures.”
The “grandpa” of the team has a bright future, too. Vaughan described it as “coming full circle with my FSU fandom.”
“Much is made of serendipity,” Vaughan said. “While I didn’t pursue this opportunity (initially), I’m so thankful I have friends who believed in me and pushed me to pursue it. It’s been a lot of fun. I hope to continue in this role for a while.”
