At the age of 82, George Allen “Pat” Summerall has died today. Summerall was recovering from surgery at the Zale Lipshy Hospital in Dallas. The surgery was to repair a broken hip he had suffered. His health was declining in his later years, and he reportedly had a liver transplant in 2004.
In his early years, Summerall was also a kicker in the NFL from 1952 – 1961, playing for the Chicago Cardinals and New York Giants.
During the 1960s and all the way through the 1990s, Pat Summerall was the voice of the NFL. He broadcasted games as the announcer for CBS and later Fox. He was part of a duo with John Madden that brought the NFL to viewers on countless Sunday afternoons. He has broadcasted 16 Super Bowls over his career, and was also called upon to do several PGA Tour and U.S. Open Tennis events.
In 1994 he was the recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, which is given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then in 1999, Summerall was inducted into the American Sportscasters Hall of Fame. His last Super Bowl on Fox in 2002 ended a 21 year run with Madden.
Born in 1930 in Florida, Pat Summerall was an athlete that attended the University of Arkansas on a Basketball scholarship. He was nominated to All Southwestern Conference teams in two sports, basketball and football. His interests were diverse as shown by his Bachelors in education and Masters in Russian History.
In the minds and memories of fans, Pat Summerall will forever be linked to some of the best NFL games in league history.
Tony Graham is a NFL writer for www.RantSports.com.
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