Bob's last day with WLTX was Thursday. He's leaving to become the Vice-President of Life Careers, a career management firm. He also will continue to host his morning sports show on 107.5-FM The Game.

Thursday, Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac-Devine presented Bob with a key to the City of Columbia. He also got a key to Capital City Stadium from the Columbia Blowfish, and May 27 was named "Bob Shields Day" at both the stadium and the city.

During the event at Capital City Stadium, Bob had the honor of catching the first pitch of the game from Atlanta Braves legend Dale Murphy. After the pitch, Murphy signed the ball, fulfilling a dream for the sports director.

As part of the tributes which came in, Bob was given a Gamecock jersey by USC Coach Steve Spurrier, a Clemson jersey from Coach Dabo Swinney, and a South Carolina State University jersey from coach Buddy Pugh. Each of the jerseys had the number "19" on them. Previous Coverage: USC Coach Steve Spurrier Delivers Gamecock Jersey to News19 Sports Director Bob Shields

During his career in broadcasting, Bob was perhaps most known for weekly sports feature "News19 Player of the Week," that highlighted a high school student athlete that excelled on the field and in the classroom. Related Link: Read Bob Shields's Biography

Shields won the South Carolina Broadcasting Association's award for Sportscaster of the Year three consecutive times from 1995-1997.

Bob is known for his gracious coverage of USC and Clemson, and has been honored by coaches for each school in the past.

Bob spent equal time covering smaller schools in the area, and schools like Benedict College in Columbia, Newberry College, and South Carolina State University in Orangeburg could depend on him to provide coverage of their teams.

Last week, Bob was asked to throw the first pitch of the Yardcocks' matchup against Florida at Carolina Stadium in Columbia. Related Coverage: Bob Shields Honored by USC Gamecocks

Outside of the industry, Bob is known for his speaking engagements with students and young people, and his insistence that education is the key to success. Besides his sportscasting duties, Bob is an avid supporter of the Walk the Night campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He graciously gives his time and energy to support and promote this worthy cause every year.

Bob and his wife, Renee, have two children, Kevin, 13 and Gena, 10.