Listening to Georgia Bulldogs football radio legend Larry Munson as a young man, Jeff Dantzler wondered what it would be like to have that chair one day.

This fall, Dantzler, a Statesboro native, will find out. The veteran radio personality, who has called a number of University of Georgia sports over the years, will be the voice of the Bulldog football broadcasts every Saturday.

“It's definitely the job I've always dreamed about,” Dantzler said. “Growing up being around it and everything, to have this opportunity is pretty surreal. I consider myself incredibly lucky and fortunate. It's a huge obligation as well. I know how important this is and how many people are counting on me. I can promise you, I will do my very best to do the best job humanly possible.”

Dantzler started his broadcasting career in Statesboro, working with the legendary Nate Hirsch and Bill Price doing Statesboro High games. He went on to do some Georgia Southern baseball and women’s basketball games and worked in the sports department at The Statesboro Herald.

“It was a great place to cut my teeth,” Dantzler said. “There were so many people like Nate Hirsch who were great influences on me there that I'll forever be grateful for those opportunities.”

Dantzler started at the University of Georgia in the fall of 1991 and worked in the sports information office for Claude Felton, one of the most widely-respected sports information directors. Dantzler called his first Georgia women’s basketball game in 1993-94. He also called Clarke Central High School football games with David Johnston, with whom he still calls Georgia baseball games.

“The next year I started doing the (Georgia) baseball games, and then just kind of kept on going,” he said

Dantzler, having developed his own broadcasting style over the years, cited the late Larry Munson as one of his biggest influences, and he got to know the longtime voice of the Dogs, who retired after the 2007 season.

“I loved Larry and he was such a great guy,” Dantzler said. “He was one of my all-time heroes along with Dan Magill, Herschel Walker, Vince Dooley and Erk Russell, all the Georgia legends. I loved Larry and I idolized him.”

Dantzler recalled listening to Munson’s singular style, even when he was at a Georgia football game or watching one on TV.

“When you were in the stadium, you'd wear the headphones and when the games were on TV, you'd have Munson on,” he said. “He was just the ultimate Georgia football fan and with so many games not on television, he was your only link to what was going on. We lived and died with him. So, it was great to actually get to know him, and a little side note - my wife Emily was actually in his famous movie group. I guess that that was a bit of serendipity there as well.”

Another former Bulldog whom Dantzler looked up to was Erk Russell, when Russell was the defensive coordinator. Dantzler got to know Russell on a personal level when Russell came to Statesboro to become Georgia Southern’s head coach.

“He was one of my all-time heroes,” Dantzler said. “He was kind enough to let me bend his ear about Georgia football all the time. He was obviously a great coach at Georgia Southern as well and the two of us actually played tennis together.”

Billy Rushing, then the tennis pro at Forest Heights Country Club, introduced Dantzler, a young tennis standout, to Russell, who was an avid tennis player.

“I was one of the top junior players at the time,” Dantzler said, “and Coach Russell was in his 50s. I was a little afraid of wearing him out in the heat, but he actually wore me down and was up 6-1 and 4-1. He called me Rule Book and he said, ‘Rule Book, if you’ve had enough, you can quit now.’ Coach Russell was a wonderful man and a great mentor and any time I got to spend with him was a joy and a treasured moment.”

Dantzler called the Bulldogs baseball team run to the College World Series finals and its shot at a national championship, and he believes this year’s UGA football team should have a chance to go all the way.

“I think we'll be really good,” he said. “Kirby (Smart) has done such an amazing job. He is, in my mind, already on the Mount Rushmore of all-time great SEC coaches. I think he's got a chance to be the best to ever do it. He has a lot of qualities that Coach Russell and Coach Dooley had, and as long as he's at the helm, I think we have a shot to do special things. With the playoffs expanding, you’ve got to be healthy, you have to get hot at the right time. But I certainly feel like we'll be in the mix and have a very season. I fully believe there's another national championship in our near future.”