About Hootie

Jerry Ratcliffe established a reputation in covering University of Virginia athletics and the Atlantic Coast Conference in addition to many other sports during four decades, and brings to JerryRatcliffe.com his vast experience and knowledge.

Ratcliffe has been elected into the state of Virginia Sports Hall of Fame’s 50th class (induction will occur in April), along with two of the athletes he covered: Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore and Cavaliers baseball great Ryan Zimmerman, who was the face of the Washington Nationals franchise during his career.

Ratcliffe’s work has been recognized both statewide and nationally, resulting in more than 80 awards, from the Associated Press Sports Editors Association (first place nationally), the Virginia Press Association, the Football Writers of America, and the United States Basketball Writers of America during his career. He also was awarded the prestigious Earle Hellen Sports Media Award by the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America for outstanding media contributions toward the promotion and support of golf, the PGA, and the Middle Atlantic Section.

Ratcliffe has been selected as the Virginia Sportswriter of the Year on four occasions by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

During his career, Ratcliffe has covered national college championships in football, basketball, baseball, women’s basketball, golf, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, track & field, and cross country. He has covered dozens of bowl games and at least a dozen Final Fours.

He also covered eight Super Bowls and the Washington Redskins and NFL over the course of 16 years, has covered the Major League Baseball playoffs, NASCAR, and one of his great loves: golf. Ratcliffe has covered 10 U.S. Open championships, the Masters, the PGA Championship and numerous other golf events on the Tour and amateur events on the national, state, and local levels.

A Heisman Trophy voter since the early 1980s and a charter member voter of the John Wooden Award, Ratcliffe has served as an AP voter over the years in both major sports, as president of the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Media Association, and created the ACC’s Bob Bradley Courage and Spirit Award, basketball’s equivalent to football’s Brian Piccolo Award.

He has also served on advisory boards for the First Tee of Charlottesville and the Virginia chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

Ratcliffe teamed up with Chris Graham, Zach Pereles and Scott German of the Augusta Free Press and his son, Scott Ratcliffe, to co-author Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship. Ratcliffe is also the author of The University of Virginia Football Vault: The History of the Cavaliers, which was a huge hit among Wahoo fans.