The Pittsburgh Steelers were trailing by six against the Washington Commanders with 2:27 remaining in an early November match last autumn when quarterback Russell Wilson received the ball from the center.
Describing the play was commentator Rob King, AB ’89, his rhythmic voice unwavering as the action commenced:
“Wilson retreats. Lifts his foot. Receives the snap. Drops back to pass. Lookiiing …”
King’s voice escalates: “Gonna loft it left for Williams…”
Then it culminates into a peak of unrestrained joy: “And Williams makes the catch! In the end zone! What a throw! What a catch!”
The touchdown clinched the victory as King’s commentary etched another Steelers experience for a multitude of fans tuning in. Quite impressive for someone in his inaugural season as an NFL commentator, the apex of a broadcasting journey that began while King was studying English literature at WashU.
It was around the middle of his junior year when King realized he should start contemplating life after graduation. Following the advice of a roommate who remarked, “You enjoy sports. Go pursue that,” he enrolled in a broadcasting course at nearby Forest Park Community College and landed an internship at St. Louis’ KPLR-TV. “That altered the course of my career,” he explains. “I learned the entire industry in real-time.”
One opportunity led to another, as it often happens when diligence meets chance. He was appointed as a producer at KPLR and subsequently transitioned to an on-air role. At each stage, he embraced every responsibility essential for a broadcast, from reporting to writing to editing—making it appear effortless in front of the camera.
From there, he had experiences in Utica and Syracuse in New York, returned to KPLR, and eventually settled in Pittsburgh, where he has been since 2000 covering the Pirates and the Penguins. Along this journey, he secured a role as a studio reporter for the Steelers’ broadcasts. Last spring, he was chosen to succeed Pittsburgh broadcasting icon Bill Hillgrove. He was prepared for his moment since he had devoted a lifetime readying himself for it.
“During my time in St. Louis, I did play-by-play for practically every sport imaginable, even polo matches,” he recalls. “And I approached every broadcast as if it were the seventh game of the World Series. That’s the expectation of the job.”
However, for King, that doesn’t feel like work. “I love memorizing lineups and statistics. I adore watching practice,” he states. “There’s no component of it that resembles a test of endurance. It’s all enjoyment. Then those three hours in the broadcast booth don’t feel like stress whatsoever.”
He understood the significance of thorough exploration through his liberal arts classes. “I learned that at WashU. I truly did,” he affirms. “I had a professor who took me aside and said, ‘You’re glib, and that’s not necessarily a good trait.’ What she meant was that I could probably coast along on the surface of life and fare just fine. Or I could delve deeper and do it right. It urged me to rethink what was truly important to me.”
For now, that consists of his family, the city of Pittsburgh, and a career broadcasting an NFL team that he will always appreciate. “I’m back to my broadcasting origins,” he states. “And I simply love football.”
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