This Kansas City Chiefs icon has been named the 2024 Kansan of the Year
The voice of the Kansas City Chiefs earned another accolade for his storied career, right before the start of training camp for the 2024 NFL season.
Mitch Holthus, the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Chiefs for the last 30 years, was named the Kansan of the Year by the Kansas Society of Washington D.C. in May, and received the honor at the society’s annual banquet Tuesday.
A native of Smith Center, Kansas, and graduate of Kansas State University, Holthus was selected for being an exemplary ambassador for the state, the Kansas Society board said in a statement. It’s a nonprofit group that encourages civic engagement and promotes the state’s culture in Washington.
Holthus began his broadcasting career calling games for the Pratt High Greenbacks. Later, he became the radio play-by-play announcer for his alma mater, where he would stay for 13 years and earn six Kansas Sportscaster of the Year honors. He debuted in the Kansas City Chiefs broadcast booth in 1994, where he has been ever since.
“Mitch is a tremendous ambassador for Kansas and one of the best sports broadcasters the industry has ever seen,” the Kansas Society board said in a statement. “Throughout his career, Mitch has embodied Kansas values and enriched each fanbase and community in which he has served. As the voice of the Chiefs, Mitch has become synonymous with the passion and success of Chiefs football, and we are thrilled to honor his illustrious career by naming him Kansan of the Year.”
The broadcaster talked about the honor on NFL Total Access in May with anchor Mike Yam, saying he’s honored to be included among other famous Kansans.
“You start to look at who else is on the list: astronauts, Bob Dole, General Eisenhower, General Myers, John Riggins of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, great college coaches like Bill Snyder, Bill Self and others. I’m humbled,” Holthus said in the video
“It’s also to me an honor because it brings up the non-football stuff, the stuff that’s behind the scenes to help out in the Chiefs Kingdom, which isn’t play-by-play.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2024 at 12:19 PM.
