John Murphy has been an institution in Buffalo radio for decades. But his inability to recover his speech well enough to call Bills games after a stroke has forced the veteran to leave long before he wanted to. 

“I’m retiring,” Murphy said. “I kept waiting to get better. The recovery is slow, and I know I won’t be ready in September, so I said, ‘That’s it.’ I’m not talking good enough to do a broadcast.” 

He's been working on the Bills broadcasts for 35 years, taking over from the legendary Van Miller 19 years ago. 

John Murphy retiring as Bills play-by-play announcer as his recovery from stroke continues