Georgia Tech’s Rick Strom leaving radio post

After nine years of calling Georgia Tech football games, first from the sidelines and then the booth, Rick Strom will not return this fall for a pretty good reason — so he can watch his children’s sporting events.

The former Tech quarterback’s eldest son, Jimmy, is a redshirt freshman quarterback at Northwood University in Midland, Mich. His daughter, Lizzy, is a high-school cheerleader, his son, Matt, is a high-school swimmer and his son, Jack, plays youth football.

“I loved calling Tech games,” Strom said. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s nothing like watching your kids play.”

He was partly motivated by his own parents making 1,400-mile round trips from Pittsburgh to see him play for the Yellow Jackets. Strom started the 1986-87 seasons at Tech before a seven-year career as a backup quarterback in the NFL. Strom works in commercial real estate for John Hancock and lives in Duluth.

Strom worked the sidelines from 2005-07 when Wes Durham and Falcons great Jeff Van Note called from the booth. He moved upstairs in 2008 and worked there first with Durham and then with Brandon Gaudin last season. In statements, both praised his work.

“It was great to bring a former player who had so much insight, not only into the program, but the history and traditions of Georgia Tech,” Durham said. “I value his friendship. Rick is a very good announcer, but he’s an even better person.”

On Friday, Strom shared memories from the job, like his first game as color analyst, the Jackets’ 41-14 win over Jacksonville State in the 2008 season opener.

“I remember looking at the clock with, like 6 minutes, 27 seconds left to go in the second quarter (and thinking), ‘I have nothing left to say,’” he said. “‘I’ve said it all. How am I going to get through the rest of the quarter and the (second) half?’”

The replacement likely will be a former Tech player to maintain a connection to the team, senior associate athletic director Ryan Bamford said. Three former players who have been involved with Tech broadcasts — Sean Bedford, Nick Ferguson and Roddy Jones — would seem strong options. All three have contributed to the pregame show in recent seasons.

Bedford, who recently graduated from Florida’s law school and will begin practicing intellectual property law in Atlanta this fall, also filled in for Randy Waters as a sideline reporter at the end of last season. Jones, who manages a retail store for AT&T in Norcross, has provided analysis for Tech baseball and softball games for ESPN3 and called the spring game with Gaudin, also for ESPN3. He expressed his interest in the position.

“It would be exciting, but whatever the decision is, I support the program no matter what,” Jones said.