The first impulse Ted Emrich had upon learning he will be the voice of the Cowboys for next week's game against New Orleans was to pick up the phone and call his father.

Roger Emrich grew up in Gretna on the West Bank of New Orleans. He graduated from Loyola University and began his broadcasting career in Louisiana before moving to Dallas to work for KRLD. He became the public address announcer for the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in 2011 before his death less than five months ago.

"I'm so proud of you, buddy,'' Ted can hear his father say in his booming, genteel voice.

He pauses.

"This is special,'' Emrich said. "It really is.''

Brad Sham won't call the Sept. 29 game for the club's flagship station, 105.3 The Fan. He'll miss only his second broadcast in 41 years to observe Rosh Hashanah.

When the Cowboys told Sham who they were considering to take his spot in the booth for the Saints game, it brought a smile to his face.

"It was completely the organization's idea,'' Sham said. "They were the ones who thought this would be a wonderful tribute to Roger, particularly since it's in his hometown of New Orleans.

"I'm not the one who made the decision, but for me, Ted was a candidate because of his outstanding work. This was just a way to tie it together.''

Longtime broadcaster Verne Lundquist was behind the mike when Sham missed his only other game to celebrate the Jewish holiday four years ago. Sham remembers the moral dilemma he had with himself about whether to watch the game when he got home from temple.

He decided against it, but did check the score to see the Cowboys trailed the New York Giants by less than seven points in the game's final two minutes.

"I remember saying out loud, 'they're going to win this game,''' Sham recalled.

They did. Tony Romo's touchdown pass to Jason Witten sealed the victory.

Sham will be an usher for the early service at Temple Emanu-El a week from Sunday when the Cowboys are in New Orleans. The game will be underway by the time he helps gather up the prayer books for the second service before going home.

"There's no choice for me,'' Sham said. "God comes first.''

So, will he watch the game once he gets home that night or wait until the next day?

"That's a conversation I will seek divine guidance on between now and then,'' Sham said.

Emrich, a play-by-play announcer for ESPN and Westwood One, is honored to follow in the footsteps of the legendary voices who have called Cowboys games, even if it's only for one night. He will keep his focus on the game, but his father's presence is still with him.

"The story is the game and the team, making sure you uphold the standards that Brad has set incredibly high,'' Emrich said. "Whether it be on or off the air, I will share a few words with my dad that night.

"I owe him so much.''

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN