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Mark Story: ‘He was my idol.’ Tom Hammond mourns death of ex-UK star who was his childhood hero. Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader
In the years in which he served as the broadcast host for NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage, Tom Hammond would sometimes be distracted from his duties by a deeply resonant, gravelly voice calling his name.
When he heard that familiar baritone, Hammond knew before he looked it was Howard Schnellenberger.
“I would look up and there would be Howard in the (Churchill Downs) stands, waving at me,” Hammond recalls.
When Schnellenberger died late last month at the age of 87, most of us remembered him from his coaching days, particularly his roles in revitalizing the college football programs at Miami (1979 through 1983) and Louisville (1985 through 1994).