Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) is a Nashville sports powerhouse. In 2019, CPA transitioned to a new public address announcers at games. The new first year announcer has great pipes and something less expected: blindness.
As reported by Nashville Fox affiliate WZTV, CPA football announcer Gordon Mote was born blind. He is able to deliver information on tackles, receptions and everything else that unfolds during a game by relying on a trio of spotters, each of whom can lean over and deliver the information he needs directly into his ear.
Mote, a former country music radio announcer, previously called occasional CPA baseball games, which is how the school got the idea to have him work its football contests.
And while Mote first considered the opportunity with trepidation because of the increased speed and attention surrounding football games, he told WZTV that he feels like he’s now hit his proverbial stride as the team streaks forward in the state playoffs.
“You know what’s really cool about this, there are a lot of people in the stands that, whether it’s the visiting team or some of our own people, that have no idea they’re getting information from a blind person,” Mote told WZTV. “I just want to encourage people. I’ve heard no all my life, that’s not possible.”