Former Cardinals Kicker, Play-By-Play Legend Pat Summerall Dies at Age 82

Feb 1, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Pat Summerall gives interviews on Radio row prior to Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The man played 10 years in the NFL as a placekicker, including four of them with the Chicago Cardinals from 1953-1957.  He was more primarily known as a broadcasting legend.  Pat Summerall, play-by-play voice for NFL games, including 11 Super Bowls and The Masters, died Tuesday in Dallas at the age of 82.  He retired in 2002, however, came out of his retirement for several broadcasts, including preseason and early season games for ESPN while substituting for Mike Patrick in 2004.  He will be best known though as the broadcasting partners of Tom Brookshier and John Madden.

As a child of the 80’s primarily, I remember growing up and watching football games during the fall on CBS with my dad.  Every time I hear Summerall and Madden’s voices, it brings me back to those Sunday mornings and afternoons.  It’s one of the great memories I have of my father, watching NFL football.

I can still hear Summerall broadcasting all of those Dallas Cowboys games.  I can hear him talk about the NFC East, about Walter Payton and the Chicago Bears.  I remember all his games he did broadcasting San Francisco 49’ers games.  There was no one else like him.  Sure there are others I enjoy listening to now but no one did it like him and not many have careers like his, both as a player and broadcaster.

His last broadcast was the pre-game of the 2011 Cotton Bowl, a game he had play-by-play for from 2007-2010 during his “retirement”.  Then of course how could you not love him doing what he did best in the 2000 movie The Replacements?  I can’t get enough of that film and he is one of the reason’s why.  He will be missed.