'The greatest voice in acting': Michigan football pays tribute to James Earl Jones

Along with his legendary acting career, James Earl Jones will be remembered as the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

But to those who bleed maize and blue, his voice will also be forever tied to University of Michigan football.

The Michigan Wolverines mourned Jones, a University of Michigan alum who died Monday at 93, with a post on X (formerly Twitter) that was accompanied by the hype video that plays at Michigan Stadium before the start of football games.

"Honoring the greatest voice in acting history and a Michigan icon. Rest in peace, James Earl Jones," tweeted Michigan Football (@umichfootball). The post was accompanied by the video, narrated by Jones, that plays before every football game at Michigan Stadium.

The video debuted in 2015 and was the idea of Jim Harbaugh, the former U-M head football coach now with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. It features footage of the Ann Arbor campus, the Michigan Stadium affectionately called the Big House and historic and current images of the team — plus a clip of Jones putting on his headphones to begin reciting with a dramatic pause, "This ... is the University of Michigan."

The video has become so interwoven with Saturday game day traditions that fans in the Big House recite certain lines, like “the greatest university in the world," in unison.

On Monday, Harbaugh tweeted his own tribute to Jones, writing, "James Earl Jones has passed! He carved a magical moment in our lives with his introduction of The Michigan football team each home game … 'WE ARE MICHIGAN' and memories of my growing up with his part in 'Sandlot' and 'Field of Dreams' LEGEND!"

Harbaugh recruited Jones for the video and watched his recording session in New York in person. “It was an amazing experience to watch Mr. James Earl Jones do the voice-over piece. It must have been what it was like to watch Willie Mays take batting practice,” Harbaugh said on WXYT-FM (97.1) in 2015.

Harbaugh’s trademark lines dotted the script, as the Free Press reported in 2015, including, “We will attack with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

Also weighing in Monday on Jones' passing was the University of Michigan's president, Santa Ono, who tweeted, "Mourning the death of University of Michigan graduate James Earl Jones. Your inspirational career and your inspiring words — heard at every home game — move us as a university community. We will miss you. RIP".

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football pays tribute to hype video voice James Earl Jones