Brian “B Daht” McLaughlin, a 2006 Winston-Salem State University alumnus, has been named the new public address (PA) announcer for the Florida A&M Rattlers. McLaughlin, who previously served as the PA announcer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, returns to the HBCU community with this new role.
McLaughlin’s tenure at Winston-Salem State, which began in 2005 under Chancellor Emeritus Harold Martin, saw him become known as “The Voice of WSSU Athletics.” His seven-year stint at his alma mater included announcing for both football and basketball games.
In a recent interview with WTXL, McLaughlin expressed his enthusiasm for joining Florida A&M. “I was so excited, I put up a video saying, ‘meet me at the Bragg!’ And they burned me up — ain’t no ‘the’ in Bragg, sir,” he said.
He added that while he’s eager to engage with the new crowd, he’s already experienced some humorous cultural differences. “I said put on your green and orange, they said — stupid, it’s orange and green. But even them correcting me, it’s been nothing but love.”
McLaughlin replaces Sterling Stevenson, who had been the PA announcer at FAMU for six years. The Rattlers, who are currently on a 21-game home win streak after a recent victory over the South Carolina State Bulldogs, will benefit from McLaughlin’s energetic presence.
“I’m here again, I can add my own swag in Bragg and do my thing,” McLaughlin said. “Strike, strike, and strike again!”
B Daht spoke with HBCU Pulse about his experience during his first game at Bragg.
“I’ll be honest, I was nervous. Just understanding the streak in Bragg & understanding there was an audience that was more attentive to the PA than usual in attendance, I wanted to perform well. I think the 4th Quarter is when I felt the most comfortable and displayed more of my natural abilities. The crowd came alive. The team began to respond. We kept the streak alive in Bragg.”
B Daht spoke about what Rattlers can expect from him on the microphone.
“Rattlers can expect the fabric of professional PA Announcing with entertainment threads woven through. I’ll bring energy every game in Bragg and do my best to make sure that Rattler Nation is ‘the 12th Man' propelling our Rattlers to victory.
He also imparted knowledge to students and alumni who want to embark on being a PA Announcer, as he offers a course in the craft.
I actually have a 6-week course “Who’s Hosting 101” that starts October 1st. I’ve been a PA Announcer for 20 years, this year. I share how to read scripts, execute reads and plays, and even how to find jobs in the PA Announcing/Arena Hosting & Gameday Entertainment field…Another option would be reach out to PA Announcers/Arena Hosts and ask to shadow them. You’d be surprised at how far a simple ask will get you in life.”
The Rattlers aim to defend their SWAC championship title this year after a decisive 35-14 victory over Prairie View A&M University in the 2023 Championship game. Florida A&M finished the 2023 regular season with a 12-1 overall record and an undefeated 8-0 mark in conference play. The Rattlers also emerged as the 2023 Celebration Bowl champions.
Florida A&M’s next home game is scheduled for September 28 at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, where they will host Alabama A&M following road games against the University of Miami and Troy University.
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