University of New Orleans graduate Doug Moreau has spent much of his life involved in organized sports, from scorekeeping to coaching to announcing games. Now Moreau, who is entering his 27th year as the gameday press box announcer for the New Orleans Saints, is headed into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Moreau has been chosen to receive the Joe Gemelli “Fleur de Lis” award for his contributions to the Saints organization. Moreau, along with storied Saints quarterback Drew Brees, will be honored later this year during a home game.
“It has hit me extremely hard, meaning that it’s extremely humbling,” Moreau said. “It just means that they are thankful for what I do, and I’m thankful for them thinking of me.”
Moreau, who earned a bachelor's degree in communications from ɫɫо, also teaches literature to 7th graders at Christian Brothers School in New Orleans.
Being inducted alongside Brees is exciting, Moreau said. During the press conference announcing their Hall of Fame selections, Moreau and Brees both spoke.
“He was sitting right across from the podium with his wife and children, and I could hardly look at him, except at the end when I made mention of how important he was to the city following Hurricane Katrina,” Moreau said. “The city was in shambles and then all of a sudden, here are the Saints coming back and being successful.”
For nearly three decades Moreau has been the media’s go-to guy for real-time gameday information. During a Saints game, Moreau provides stats, player information and game updates to about 200 media members in the press box.
“You’re dealing with newspaper, radio, television, local and national media, bloggers and internet reporters,” he said.
From his perch overlooking the football field in the Caesars Superdome press box, Moreau deftly announces the play-by-play action as it unfolds. He is meticulous and methodical. Having worked as a freelance sports reporter for The Times-Picayune, Moreau knows that what he announces will be a part of someone’s story.
“I’m saying every play as it happens,” Moreau said. “We have to be quick. Some plays are crazy, some plays are very straight forward.”
Moreau is also the conveyor of game nuggets, such as when a record is set or broken, and must be able to report it within the rhythm of his announcements.
“I get those brought to me in notes and so I have to do those when there’s a break in the action, but as close to the play as when it happened,” Moreau said. “If something happens in the first quarter, I’m not giving that note in the third … I’ve got to time it right.”
Moreau attributes his skills to working with an excellent stat crew that relays game info via his headset and to knowing the game—or rather games. Moreau was introduced to organized sports at a young age. His father coached baseball across several levels, from recreation league to high school to college at Loyola University. He learned how to keep box scores as a child while watching games on TV with his dad and two older brothers—both of whom earned athletic scholarships to play college ball.
Moreau was born with a rare physical condition known as Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, which limited his mobility. He didn’t learn to walk until he was 3 years old, Moreau said. While his condition restricted his ability to play organized sports, it didn’t prevent his participation in them, he said.
“My dad always had me involved in his teams in some way, be it the bat boy, equipment boy and later as an assistant coach,” Moreau said. “In today’s world, seems like I was a precursor to the word ‘inclusion’ because I was included in so many things.”
Moreau, who grew up in the Mid City area, recalls that his 4th grade teacher “heard” his potential.
“She caught my attention one day and she said, ‘Young man, you’ve got this voice that God gave you. You need to learn how to use it,’” Moreau said. “She was really a big influence in saying that to me.”
Just over a year after his teacher’s pronouncement, Moreau made his announcing debut. A family friend allowed him to announce his older brother’s name during a little league baseball game at a New Orleans Recreation Department playground.
Those early announcing years blossomed into a career that has grown to include events such as high school football state championships and the Sugar Bowl, and in locales like the ɫɫо Lakefront Arena, Loyola University, Delgado Community College, as well as Tulane University. Moreau has also announced for the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team and spent 13 seasons as the game announcer for the New Orleans Zephyrs minor league baseball team.
He's traveled to London twice with the Saints to announce in the press box, Moreau said.
“Those were recommendations by the Saints to the NFL,” he said. “They said, ‘Our press box announcer is as good, if not better than everybody else in the country,’ and that’s a high compliment.”
Moreau arrives at the Dome about two hours before game time and stays in the press box with his headset and microphone on until that final whistle.
He gets two copies of what is known as a flip card or roster. One side has the players’ name in alphabetical order. The other side, called the depth chart, has the players in numerical order. Moreau said he tapes one copy to the window and keeps the other on the counter.
“That way I can be quick. I can either look down or look just right next to me to find the number and the name when I’m announcing, especially for the visiting teams and early in the season when the Saints have new players.”
Over the years, Moreau said he’s developed a straightforward approach to how he announces the game. He gives the player’s number, followed by their name and then the action for both sides of the ball.
For example, he’d say: Number 41 Alvin Kamara on the carry through the middle. Tackle by number 97 Joe Smith. Gain of 4. It’ll be second and six from the 29.
“It’s my way of announcing the details of a play,” Moreau said. “By saying those details in the same order helps the media take notes throughout the game.”
Part of the job also includes the correct pronunciation of the player’s name—including those on the opposing team. Prior to each home game, Moreau meets with a representative from the opposing team to go over their roster. He makes no assumptions.
“I’m going to come across a day when someone says Jon-ez, instead of Jones,” Moreau said with a laugh. “So, I’m going to make sure. Some people are Terrell and some are Te-rell. I’m going to try to make sure that I’m saying it correctly!”
