Longtime JC Smith public address voice signing off 

HERBERT L. WHITE | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Otis Stroud, who has been the public address voice of Johnson C. Smith University athletics over 40 years, is retiring at the end of the Golden Bulls basketball season. He signed off for the final time as a football announcer Nov. 8 with the Commemorative Classic between JCSU and Livingstone College.

Otis Stroud is closing on his final mic drop.

Stroud is hanging up his microphone as Johnson C. Smith University’s football and basketball public address announcer after 40 years, bringing a close as one of the most distinct voices in CIAA sports. His first assignment was a 1986 Golden Bulls football game against Winston-Salem State University at Memorial Stadium, a 15-6 Rams win. 

Stroud’s McGirt Field finale was the Nov. 8 Commemorative Classic between JCSU and Livingstone College, a 26-21 Golden Bulls win. He’ll work men’s and women’s basketball, then settle into retirement.

“Right now, I have mixed emotions, because I’ve done it for so long, and I know that it’s time to move on for me personally,” he said before the football finale, “and by being a rivalry, I certainly feel grateful to be able to call the game because it has some impact in terms of the championship. The Golden Bulls win, they’re in; if they lose, we’re sad again.”

JCSU’s win clinched a berth in the CIAA title game, the latest accomplishment for a program that produced more lows than highs during Stroud’s tenure. As an alumnus, he’s going out on a successful note as JCSU set a school record for wins in a season with nine, breaking the previous mark of eight set three times.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to see our Golden Bulls become a force in the conference after so many years of up and down,” Stroud said. “This year has been especially rewarding for me to see the great work that coach [Maurice] Flowers has put in and his staff to get the Golden Bulls to where they are.”

With a typical football season consisting of five home dates, Stroud, a 2023 inductee to the JCSU Athletics Hall of Fame, has announced approximately 200 Golden Bulls games. His most memorable call was a 14-6 homecoming win against WSSU in 1996,  the Golden Bulls’ last against the Rams until 2023. JCSU has now won three straight in the series.

“That was at that time a great rivalry at Memorial Stadium,” Stroud recalled. “We had fans on both sides of the field cheering for their respective teams, and we prevailed. For me, that was a great game. It was one of those classics where the defense pretty much dominated the game, but we walked away with the victory.”

Public address requires preparation beyond turning on a microphone. Stroud said the job requires attention to details and an ability to speak clearly and accurately. Mostly, it requires a standard of professionalism.

“Sometimes you have to be neutral, even though you bleed the blue and gold, but … call the game fair so that it won’t be a biased situation,” he said. “Just do your best. You have to do your homework, make sure that you get pronunciation of the kids correct, because if not, the parents will be yelling at you. It’s not as easy as it seems.” 

Stroud’s turning the microphone over, but he doesn’t plan on disappearing. He’ll continue to follow the Golden Bulls and perhaps lend his baritone if asked.

“I’m going to announce all of the basketball games this year, and hopefully we’ll drop the mic on that as well,” he said. “But I told them, if they ever need me in an emergency situation and if I’m available, I certainly would be glad to do it.”

Comments