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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Thomas Wade, an upcoming sports broadcasting student at the University of Alabama, stands at the Vestavia Hills High School baseball field.
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Staff photo.
Long-time voice of the Rebels, Steve Bendall, calls his final game with student analyst ThomasWade during a game between Huffman andVestavia Hills on Nov. 2, 2018, at Buddy Anderson Field at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills.
At this past year’s LSU-Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa, Thomas Wade was taking in more than just a thrilling contest between two great teams.
Wade and his family were able to tour behind the scenes of “SEC Nation,” the college football gameday program produced by the SEC Network.
Wade saw well-known broadcasters and former athletes such as Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears and others interact with the not-so-well-known men and women behind the camera and noticed how well they got along and how tight-knit their crew was.
It gave the up-and-coming sports broadcaster a career goal: to join that group of sports broadcasters one day.
But first, the recent Vestavia Hills High School graduate will hone his skills at the University of Alabama.
Wade has been a part of the Rebel Nation Sports Network for the past few years at Vestavia and has called many football, basketball, baseball and soccer games, among other sports, over the years.
“It just gives me a way to be a part of the game,” he said.
Wade joined the Vestavia News Network during his sophomore year and then joined the broadcast booth for the spring football game after then-announcers Steve Bendall and Roger Jackson heard he was interested in sports broadcasting.
By the fourth game of that next season, Jackson had moved, and Wade joined Bendall in the booth. The two called all football games together during the 2018 season, which was Bendall’s last as he retired after 20 years as the “Voice of the Rebels.” Wade called games this past year during his senior year.
Calling the games with Bendall was a lot of fun, Wade said.
Bendall said Wade and other students helped turn the broadcast into a student-led production, something he wanted to do because he knew he wouldn’t continue broadcasting forever.
“He just brought a great enthusiasm with him,” Bendall said of Wade. “He’s a tremendous young man, has good character. I’m proud of him; it was an honor and a pleasure to work with him.”
One of the more entertaining games he called was this past year’s game against Hewitt-Trussville, a game that eventually ended with a Rebels win after Sam Willoughby intercepted a Huskies pass in the end zone with virtually no time left. But it was another play in the game that made Wade “famous” for a little while.
During one play, the Rebels lost 45 yards. Wade couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, and all he managed to say was, “Ugh, oh no, uh, we ... just lost 45 yards.” The clip of his reaction went viral quickly, he said.
“It was definitely interesting to see how it blew up,” he said.
Wade said his experience has taken him to many different stadiums, given him access passes to press boxes and allowed him to travel for state playoff games.
“I’ve really found what I enjoy, what I’m passionate about,” he said. “It’s amazing. It’s what I want to do.”
Calling Vestavia’s games has been an emotional experience, he said.
But the job has come with some sacrifices. Wade wasn’t able to sit in the student section for his last two years of high school, but he said it was worth it to pursue his dream.
Since he was a child, Wade has loved sports. He wakes up in the morning before school and turns on “Sports Center” on ESPN.
“I knew if I could make my career through sports, I’d never have to work a day in my life,” he said.
So, when all major sports were canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic this spring, it made for a tough time at home for Wade, who finished his senior year at home along with the rest of his classmates. “It’s been rough,” he said.
During his time at Vestavia, Wade helped both the Vestavia News Network and the sports network grow. Both have become more active and have made improvements to technology and other areas that help students, he said. A new basketball camera tracks the ball, so anchors are able to sit at a table on the court and focus on calling the game instead of having to operate a camera, Wade said.
Having access to the National Federation of State High School Associations network allows them to do audio calls of the game without showing the field and allows people around the country to check in on how the teams are doing. It also allows Wade’s family to hear what he’s doing, which is a great thing, said Wade’s father, Brian Wade.
Wade’s mother, Ivey Wade, said she’s glad her son has found something to pursue.
“It was an awesome opportunity for him to get to explore what he wants to do,” she said.
In the fall, Wade will go to UA and plans to major in news media and minor either in history or marketing.
The next step, Wade said, will be to hopefully intern at Tuscaloosa news station WVUA before launching his sports broadcasting career.
After that, he hopes the next time he’s in Tuscaloosa, he’ll be on the other side of the “SEC Nation” desk.
