Pat Summerall, who spent almost 40 years broadcasting televised NFL games, died yesterday from a heart attack, at the age of 82. He had been recovering from surgery for a broken hip. Starting in 1961, he worked for CBS for 31 years, before moving to Fox and retiring after 8 more years. Before entering the broadcast booth, he had played football at the University of Arkansas and later for nine seasons in the NFL, mostly as a kicker, with the Cardinals (then in Chicago) and Giants. He was originally with the Lions, but lost his rookie season to a broken arm. The Cardinals also briefly used him at defensive end. Besides football, he also covered the Masters and the U.S. Open tennis championship during his time at CBS.
Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida. In high school, he was all-state in football and basketball. In college, he earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's in Russian history. He later became an alcoholic. Twelve years after being successfully treated at the Betty Ford Clinic, a liver transplant was necessary to save his life. He spent the latter part of his life in the Dallas area, and was in a Dallas hospital when he died.
Read more at CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, Dallas News, Arkansas Business and USA Today.
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