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Those who listen to the Buffalo Bills games on WGR-AM are familiar with the name John Murphy. He's been the longtime voice of the team but missed last week's tragic tilt that saw Damar Hamlin suffer a heart incident on the field.
At the time, the team said he was simply "under the weather." But know they've confirmed it's a lot more serious than that. Murphy suffered a stroke last week and is, per the team, "making progress every day." There's no word on whether he'll be back for any of the games left this year, including the playoffs. But depending on how bad it is, a stroke can be very debilitating.
It's the second health issue to hit the team after the Hamlin close call, and he is said to be rallying every day in a Cincinnati hospital.
Murphy's family has issued this statement:
Voice of Bills: John Murphy Recovering From Stroke, Team Says
Meanwhile, another Western New York announcer who covers the Bills is well steeped in tragedy. What happened to WGR morning man Jeremy White is almost unthinkable. Which sadly made him well equipped to verbalize his feelings about the Hamlin - and now the Murphy - tragedies.
When Football and Grief Intersected, One Buffalo Radio Host Was Uniquely Equipped to Handle It
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An update after several months of silence.
Bills radio announcer John Murphy remains unsure about return following stroke
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Buffalo play-by-play veteran John Murphy won't be back for the foreseeable future. But that doesn't mean the voice of the Bills on WGR-AM is finished after his stroke. The team has confirmed he's still recovering and hope he'll be back. Which explains why they've named Chris Brown his "interim" replacement.
Buffalo Bills keeping Chris Brown aboard radio broadcasts in 2023