CLEVELAND (WJW) — Jim Donovan, the city’s beloved “Voice of the Cleveland Browns,” has died at 68. The team announced his passing on Saturday. It was well known that the longtime Browns Radio Network announcer was battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Donovan was first named as the radio “Voice of the Cleveland Browns” in 1999. He had completed his 25th radio broadcast season in 2023.
“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a press release. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan. His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.”
His career is one for the books.
The Browns organization noted Donovan’s signature calls that highlighted his career from his “Run, William, Run” call in 2002 — in reference to RB William Green’s 64-yard touchdown run in a playoff-clinching win against the Falcons — to his “Is this how it feels?” call when the Browns defeated the Jets in Week 3 of the 2018 season. It was the team’s first victory in 635 days.
Donovan announced at the end of the 2024 preseason that he was stepping away from the Browns Radio Network to focus on his battle with cancer. The team inducted him into the 2024 Class of Browns Legends on Sept. 22 at Huntington Bank Field. Donovan’s daughter, Meghan, accepted the Browns Legends jacket on behalf of Donovan during the ceremony.
Donovan was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2000. He underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in the summer of 2011 and continued to monitor the disease in the following years. But in May 2023, Donovan announced he had a relapse of leukemia and would undergo a more aggressive treatment, the team said.
Later that year, during the season opener against the Bengals, Donovan announced he would take a medical leave of absence from the Browns Radio Network.
He was back in the radio booth in November for Week 11 of the 2023 season. He also had the honor of serving as Dawg Pound Captain. Duties included smashing a Steelers’ themed guitar before kickoff, which he did with a big smile on his face. Minutes later, he was seated in his second home — up in the radio booth, calling the Browns’ 13-10 victory over the Steelers.
The Browns posted about Donovan, saying in part:
“Jim provided so much joy and love to this city. His steady presence on the radio for Browns games and on television for nightly news made it feel like he was an extended family member for all those who tuned in. His signature calls will be forever embedded in Browns’ history.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also posted, in part: “For a quarter century, Jim was the voice of the Browns on the radio locally and for Browns fans across the country tuning in to hear each week’s game…. Fran and I extend our sincerest condolences to Jim’s wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and all who knew and loved Jim Donovan.”
Arrangements to celebrate Jim Donovan’s life are still being finalized.
