The origin story of Chris Stewart’s ‘Let’s get out of here’ Alabama radio calls
Every broadcast voice has that tagline.
“How about that!” was Birmingham native and Alabama grad Mel Allen’s legacy after decades calling New York Yankees games.
Chris Stewart’s doesn’t necessarily have one on that level.
Not yet.
But the legend around his game-ending line’s gathering steam as Alabama’s historic basketball season reached the Final Four. There was considerable social media buzz anticipating the moment before Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson and the longtime radio voice of Crimson Tide basketball didn’t disappoint.
“Clock hits zero,” Stewart said, voice edging toward a shout. “AND LET’S … GET … OUT … OF … HERE AND GO TO THE FINAL FOUR!”
The emotion in his voice was unmistakable — a release of pent-up decades dotted with close calls.
But what exactly is the origin of the “Let’s get out of here” line?
Well, like all Alabama legends, all roads lead back to football.
The date was Oct. 8, 2022 and Texas A&M was in Bryant-Denny Stadium for a highly anticipated meeting of Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. There was a public dust up the summer before so the tension was high that night in Tuscaloosa.
Standing beside the raised court at State Farm Stadium watching Alabama hoops practice Friday, Stewart tells the story of how this line became a catchphrase.
“It was the game we wanted to beat them by a thousand and then call timeout and go for two,” Stewart said with a grin. “That was the game that obviously went down to the wire. It’s one play. It’s a walk off.”
Texas A&M was driving for what would have been the game-winning score. The Aggies had one play from the 2-yard line with 3 seconds left but Terrion Arnold broke up the pass to Evan Stewart and Alabama survived.
“And when the ball hit the ground and I said whatever I said, another thing that came out of my mouth that came from my gut was ‘Let’s get out of here,’” Stewart recalled Friday. “It was like we stole one. It could have been terrible and instead you got the win. It just came out of my mouth. I don’t know if I’ve ever said it before. I don’t remember it but it’s never been more meaningful than that.”
A year later, Alabama escaped another near disaster in College Station, slipping away a 26-20 winner.
“And I jokingly said ‘Let’s get out of here again,’” Stewart said. “Just because it was A&M.”
With that, the idea came for a T-shirt highlighting his phrase. Stewart’s favorite part of that story came after his daughter Anne saw the mock up, offered her take on the design and the printing company went with it.
But when it it enter the regular rotation?
“When people started saying it to me so much,” Stewart said. “And they say “I hope we’re hearing you say ‘Let’s get out of here.’”
Stewart said he doesn’t like to script moments like that — preferring for an off-the-cuff moment.
In fact, it wasn’t part of his game-ending calls for the first-round win over College of Charleston or the Sweet 16 win over North Carolina.
“But in the games that had us going to another venue, that pops in my head ‘Let’s get out of here,’” Stewart said. “I’m glad people like it. I’m glad it resonates. It’s not something I ever intended but it just … they like it and I’m glad it means something good happened for Alabama.”
It’s not his only signature line, either.
“Bottoms!” has been his call on big shots made going back to his days calling Birmingham Southern games.
But it hasn’t caught the tailwind of his impromptu run for the exits that’s become part of the Crimson Tide vocabulary.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.