After 20 years of hearing the evangelist of all things tech (AKA John Chambers), Wall Street veterans are gearing up for a Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) earnings call today that is set to be the last of his tenure. But take it from a Cisco vet, Chambers isn’t fading into history just yet.

Chuck Robbins, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, is set to take over as Cisco chief executive officer on July 26.

Will Chambers introduce Robbins to the Street crowd today as he delivers his quarterly pep talk?

Perhaps. Investors certainly want to learn more about the man tasked with filling a legend’s shoes and who will be the boss of several thousand employees at Cisco’s RTP campus.

But while Chambers is giving up the CEO chair, ending if not the longest such tenure but among the most significant roles ever among Silicon Valley firms, he isn’t retiring.

“John will remain as chairman so that’s still a strong presence,” says Joe Freddoso, a former Cisco executive who oversaw the building of North Carolina’s first state-wide fiber optic network while CEO at MCNC in the Triangle.

Freddoso acknowledges having “brief personal interactions with John,” but he has worked in enough technology jobs and at Cisco’s RTP campus and at Cisco’s Valley headquarters long enough in a number of different roles to speak with authority about what Chambers’ impact has been.

Not just with Cisco but helping evangelize the Internet.

“Some people transcend the capacity of their title with a company and lead movements. Its not an exaggeration in my mind to say that John led and continues to lead the movement to the current Internet age,” Freddoso, who now is an entrepreneur focusing on broadband issues, says.

“At every advancement from the power of the network, to VoIP, to video, to collaboration to the ‘Internet of Things,’ John has been the lead evangelist, showing others the way.

“I am sure he will continue to lead in this way and am looking forward to seeing what he does next.”

Will Chambers ever participate in a Cisco earnings call again?

Maybe not. Intruding on the turf of a new CEO might cause harm and be seen as a sign of disrespect.

But if Cisco needs a pep talk and the Street needs a reminder to keep the faith in Cisco, Chambers will speak up loudly and clearly.

He always does.