Don Criqui facts for kids

Don Criqui (born October 1, 1940) is a famous American sportscaster. He is known for his amazing career calling many different sports.

Don Criqui holds a special record. He was an NFL football broadcaster for 47 seasons! This is the longest time anyone has done this on U.S. TV. He worked for both NBC and CBS. His last NFL game was on December 8, 2013. He stepped in to call a game between the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns.

He also had a long career calling college football. Don Criqui called 11 Orange Bowl games for NBC. Some of these games even decided the national championship! From 2006 to 2017, he was the radio voice for Notre Dame. This was special because he went to college there.

Discovering Don Criqui's Early Life

Don Criqui grew up in Buffalo, New York. He lived in a suburb called Kenmore.

He went to St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Kenmore. After that, he studied at the University of Notre Dame. He also served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Don Criqui's Broadcasting Career

Don Criqui has always been a key voice in American sports. He is famous for how long he has been a broadcaster.

He started working with CBS in 1967. Then, he moved to NBC Sports in 1979. He rejoined CBS in 1998 when they got the NFL again. He continued to be a play-by-play announcer for the NFL on CBS until 2012. In 2013, he returned for one more game. This was the Cleveland Browns versus New England Patriots game.

Don Criqui has announced many other sports too. He worked for CBS, NBC, and ESPN. He called games for:

• College football
• College basketball
• The ABA
• The NBA
• The NHL
• Professional golf and tennis
• Triple Crown horse races
• The Canadian Football League
• Several Summer Olympics events

During his time at NBC, Criqui called 14 Orange Bowl games. One of his most famous calls was the 1984 Orange Bowl. This game was between undefeated Nebraska and Miami. Nebraska lost to Miami 31–30 in a very close game.

His most memorable college basketball call was in 1981. It was when St. Joseph's upset top-seeded DePaul.

Criqui was also the radio voice for Notre Dame Fighting Irish football. He did this from 2006 to 2018.

Other Exciting Projects

Don Criqui also hosted radio talk shows about sports. In 1991, he was a TV announcer for the New York Mets. He also called New England Patriots pre-season games on TV.

For many years, he was the main spokesperson for Trans World Airlines. He appeared in many TV and radio ads. He also co-hosted the weekend version of Inside Edition. He was a sportscaster on WOR radio and WNBC radio.

Famous NFL Game Calls

Don Criqui made many memorable NFL calls. One was on November 8, 1970. Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal. This won the game for the New Orleans Saints against the Detroit Lions.

Other famous games he called include:

• The 1978 "Miracle at the Meadowlands"
• The 1982 "Epic in Miami"

He also called "Red Right 88" in 1980. This was when Brian Sipe threw an interception that ended the Cleveland Browns' season. He also called the Detroit Lions' comeback win over the Browns in 2009.

In 2003, he received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. This award is from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

Don Criqui's Family Life

Don Criqui lives in Essex Fells, New Jersey. He has four sons and one daughter. He also has fifteen grandchildren. His wife, Molly Criqui, passed away in 2024. They were married for over 60 years.