GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He stopped by the Gator Room on Friday afternoon for a final goodbye with two dozen UF colleagues. By Saturday morning, Kyle Crooks was on the road to Lincoln, Neb., for his new job as the voice of Nebraska football.

He planned a couple of stops along the way – Chattanooga and St. Louis seemed logical places for sleepovers on the long drive from Gainesville – but truth be told, Crooks has been too excited to sleep much lately.

“There’s so much to dive into,” Crooks said on the Cornhuskers’ “Sports Nightly” show the day Nebraska announced the hire. “I can’t wait to actually get out and see the guys in fall camp, and see practice, and get around to all these other events.”

If you have turned on your radio or streamed SEC Network broadcasts for a Gators softball game, women’s basketball game or an occasional football and men’s basketball game over the past eight seasons, you have heard Crooks on the play-by-play call.

Crooks arrived as an up-and-coming play-by-play announcer in the business, and after experiencing some highs and lows that accompany a career in the hyper-competitive field, he got his big break when the Cornhuskers hired him to replace the late Greg Sharpe, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in February.

In his new role as director of broadcasting for the Huskers Radio Network, Crooks will call Nebraska football games and host the “Sports Nightly” program five days a week.

“I’ve been at this probably 15 years on a professional basis, and you have the ups and the downs,” he said. “This is the ultimate up.”

Crooks served as broadcast coordinator and play-by-play voice behind Sean Kelley and Mick Hubert during his time at UF. A New Jersey native, Crooks also worked as a play-by-play voice on the College Sports Network during football season.

Crooks made it to Nebraska this week and makes his debut as one of the hosts of “Sports Nightly” on July 7. When he’s not unpacking, Crooks will be studying to learn as much as he can about the Cornhuskers before their season opener on Aug. 28 (a Thursday night) against Cincinnati in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.

That’s a long way from press row at the O’Dome or the press box at Seashole Stadium. But Crooks is ready.

I watched him closely put in the work for his breakthrough during UF’s magical men’s basketball season. When not assigned to call the game, he sat high above the court next to longtime UF broadcaster Steve Russell, next to my seat. The two called the action on the court as if it were live on ESPN. Crooks was taking practice reps and recorded the broadcasts in preparation for the time to come.

The time has come, and Crooks will do just fine. Listen to one of his Gators’ broadcasts. He knows his stuff and prepares for broadcasts tirelessly.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said.

Best wishes, Kyle. We look forward to hearing from you at Arrowhead Stadium in a few weeks.