For years, a recognizable voice has echoed over the loudspeaker at “The Brickyard” on Friday nights in North Hall, and for the man behind the microphone, it’s been a family affair.

Tom Smiley, the pastor at Lakewood Baptist Church, has been the voice of North Hall High School Trojan football for more than a decade.

Smiley’s oldest son, Brandon, graduated from North Hall about 10 years ago and, Smiley said, he first got behind the microphone in the booth to remain a part of his son’s activities. His other son, Tyler, graduated about seven years ago.

“I just wanted to be involved as a parent and it was an opportunity for me just to be a part of their school activities and also to support the other kids and student-athletes,” said Smiley.

But, he said, he will likely not be the voice of the Trojans for years to come.

“But I think, too, there comes a time when I need to let other dads have this opportunity because it’s a wonderful opportunity to build great camaraderie between not only your sons and daughters who might be involved, but also with the other students,” he said.

Until that day, however, Smiley will continue to play his role on Friday nights much like the men whose voices are synonymous with Gainesville-Hall County football — voices like Walt Snelling of Gainesville and Johnny Smith of East Hall.

“Walt Snelling was very integral in my involvement and my style,” said Smiley. “Walt has been announcing football forever — I say Walt’s as old as dirt. But you would go to City Park and Walt Snelling would announce a jayvee game and he would announce your son’s name just as wonderfully as he would have a kid’s name on the Gainesville team and then he’d add a little something to it. I began thinking then, if I ever had the opportunity to announce football or basketball or whatever, then I would try to have that same model.”

He, much like Snelling, was a football player who did not earn much recognition from announcers. Smiley played offensive guard at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Ga.

His hope is to allow today’s student-athletes, and their parents, the chance to hear their name and number on Friday night.

“Let me tell you, as a parent, I loved hearing my kid’s name announced, whether it was on the football field or the basketball court, it was good to hear that Smiley announced — that last name and that number,” said Smiley. “So, I want other parents to feel that excitement.”

Though his sons are no longer Trojan athletes, Smiley will take the reins in the announcer’s booth for at least one more year. It’s the friendships he’s made and the excitement Friday night football brings that keeps him coming back.

“I think just being here on Friday nights when the lights come up and the crowd’s excited and the team comes out on the field and they bust through that banner (is why I keep announcing),” he said. “Really, it’s the friendship that’s created in the press box. There’s a lot of banter back and forth between the guys keeping the stats and the guys keeping the clock and the spotters and myself and those crazy, misspoken words I use often.”

And, he said, those “misspoken words” and mispronounced names have helped build a relationship with the fan base.

“We have such a good relationship because I’ve been doing this now for 10 or 12 years and they know my propensity to mispronounce a name, to say ‘the 52-yard-line’ instead of the ‘the 48-yard-line’ occasionally,” he said. “So, occasionally, they’ll glare up, they’ll turn around and look at the press box and say: ‘Hey, what you doin’ Dr. Smiley? What’s goin’ on? The 52-yard-line? Say it again.’ So we have a good relationship.”

Smiley is also quick to point out that he’s not the only one in the press box on Friday night. In fact, he said, the production could not happen with solely him.

“You cannot announce by yourself,” he said. “You have to have spotters, you have to have clock operators, you have to have people to keep the stats. There’s a lot of information flowing on every single play — you’re looking at defense, you’re looking at offense. I think one thing that keeps me coming back is we’ve put together a really good team. As all of us stay together, we enjoy it.”

As for now, Smiley will have at least eight more games to banter with his press box comrades and make a parent proud.

“All of that together, the excitement of being here, Friday night football at The Brickyard, the excitement of being in the press box with adults that you really enjoy and friendships you’ve made over the years — all that makes Friday night special,” he said.