One of the greatest voices on sports history has been silenced. Former NFL play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall passed away at age 82 on Tuesday leaving behind numerous fond memories and the recordings of his resonating voice from 16 Super Bowls, the Masters and the U.S. Open tennis tournament along with hundreds of other games.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center spokesman Jeff Carlton said Summerall died of cardiac arrest, according to ESPN.
Our lasting impression of Summerall is his last words when the New England Patriots shocked the St. Louis Rams in 2001 for their first Super Bowl when Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired:
“It’s right down the pipe. Adam Vinatieri. No time on the clock. And the Patriots have won Super Bowl XXXVI. Unbelievable.”
Summerall was the perfect combination for color commentator John Madden before the Hall of Fame coach teamed up with Al Michaels. Summerall’s was the primary voice of football for nearly four decades and that’s saying something considering he’s a former NFL player. Most former players go on to be analysts and color commentators, but not many can translate into the play-by-play role. To say Summerall did it well is an understatement.
Summerall was especially fond of the Dallas Cowboys, whose home games he called in the twilight of his career, but he’s a legend to everyone in the sports world and he’ll never be forgotten.
Be sure to check out these other great accounts of the life of Summerall:
