Longtime RMU announcer Shovlin on the mend, will miss first football opener

When the Robert Morris football team opens the season Thursday at Buffalo, the Colonials will be missing someone special: play-by-play radio announcer Chris Shovlin.

The veteran broadcaster, who has been call football and basketball since 1987, won’t be making the trip because a back issue will keep him in Pittsburgh.

“I’ve never missed the season opener since the university started football in 1994,” Shovlin said. “But I’m dealing with a back issue, and it looks like I’m missing the first two games. The plan is to return for the Dayton game on Sept. 14.”

Adam Gusky will replace Shovlin for the first two games. He has done a few games for Shovlin when there was a conflict with basketball.

“Adam is a great broadcaster,” Shovlin said. “He’ll do a great job.”

Shovlin was told rest and a steroid injection, which will occur Thursday, should alleviate the back spasms.

“It’s been hard to sit and stand for long periods of time,” Shovlin said. “It’s a little strange to have a radio guy on the PUP list, but here we are. I feel very fortunate and blessed in that my issues are correctable.”

This could also be a special season in basketball for Shovlin, who is approaching 1,000 career broadcasts. He’s at 970, and the Colonials have a 30-game schedule. Coincidentally, RMU broadcasts are aired on 970 AM (and 106.3 FM).

Shovlin began broadcasting while in college at Westminster in 1974. He worked in Beaver County calling high school football, basketball and baseball until Robert Morris hired him in 1987.