After a long and arduous medical ordeal that forced him to relearn how to walk, swallow and speak, longtime Colorado Buffs radio voice Larry Zimmer will return to the broadcast booth this fall for his 50th and final season as a broadcaster.
He will be in the press box for CU’s home opener on Sept. 12 and will complete his 42nd season with CU on Nov. 13 when Southern Cal visits Boulder on his 80th birthday. Zimmer, who expects to cover home games only, confirmed his return Thursday.
“I’m very excited about it because I said from the very beginning, I want to go back and do it,” Zimmer said. “I don’t want to use the word obligation, but with the tremendous outpouring of prayers and love and everything I got, (wife Brigitte) would bring me a stack of cards or letters every day in the hospital. It really meant a lot. Every one of them was, ‘We want you back,’ so I feel like I really owe it to the fans to come back and do it.”
Zimmer on Oct. 4 and did not return until Feb. 19. He was in and out of the hospital twice, also spending weeks at a and an in-patient rehabilitation center.
The first complication occurred when he vomited into his lungs after being intubated, causing aspiration pneumonia. His vocal cords were damaged and he had to be placed on supplemental oxygen, which he would require for months.
Later he suffered a hematoma in his right leg, caused by blood thinners he was on. That caused nerve damage, and he has only recently been able to walk without a walker or a cane after months of physical therapy. He still has very little feeling on the bottom of his right foot.
Three therapeutic injections into his paralyzed vocal cords restored his ability to speak, and he has been working with a voice therapist. His signature voice has returned, now indistinguishable from what made him famous in Colorado sports.
“His voice has been synonymous with our athletic program going back to the days of the Apollo space program,” athletic director Rick George said. “Whether it has been play-by-play or analyst duties on KOA or serving as a master of ceremonies for many of our functions, Larry Zimmer is CU. He is truly a part of our overall athletic history.”
Zimmer has been overwhelmed by the support he received during his ordeal.
“If that many people took time to write a card and say, ‘We can’t wait for you to get back,’ then it must be important to some people,” Zimmer said.
John Meyer: jmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnmeyer
