NFL Broadcasting Legend Pat Summerall Passes Away at 82
Legendary NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall passed away on Tuesday.
The Dallas Morning News‘ official Twitter account confirmed the sad news:
Summerall played football at Arkansas before spending 10 seasons in the NFL as a placekicker for the New York Giants, Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions.
Just one year after he retired, Summerall was hired by CBS Sports as a color commentator for NFL games, and it didn’t take long for him to become recognized as one of the most iconic voices in football.
He would eventually shift over to play-by-play work, teaming up with several announcers, the most notable of which was John Madden.
The Summerall-Madden duo will forever be associated with the NFL’s growing popularity in the ’80s and ’90s, as their calls accompanied some of the greatest moments of that era.
Listening to a clip of their commentary would create a feeling of nostalgia for any football fan who grew up with the dynamic pairing:
In addition to football, Summerall did play-by-play for The Masters, the U.S. Open (tennis) and even the NBA Finals while with CBS, displaying a versatile knowledge few sports broadcasters of any generation could replicate.
After leaving CBS, Summerall moved on to Fox, where he continued to provide memorable football coverage all the way up until 2010.
There are very few people in this world whose voice will be remembered and emulated as much as Summerall’s. He is sure to go down as one of the most legendary broadcasters in sports history.
