Such sad news in the football world yesterday. One of the greatest voices we will ever know passed away. Pat Summerall, the NFL player-turned-broadcaster whose deep, resonate voice called games for more than 40 years, died at the age of 82.
Summerall worked with John Madden for 21 years and Madden reacted to the news…
Via ESPN:
Pat Summerall was the calm alongside John Madden’s storm.
His final play-by-play words beside Madden were succinct, of course, as he called the game-ending field goal of the Super Bowl for Fox on Feb. 3, 2002, when New England beat St. Louis 20-17.
At the end of their final broadcast together, Madden described Summerall as “a treasure” and the “spirit of the National Football League” in a tribute to the partner that complemented the boisterous former Oakland Raiders coach so well.
“Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he was my friend for all of these years,” Madden said in a statement Tuesday. “We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He was a great broadcaster and a great man. He always had a joke. Pat never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will be.”