Frank Gifford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frank Gifford

Gifford at USC, c. 1949
No. 16
Position:	Halfback, wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1930-08-16)August 16, 1930 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Died:	August 9, 2015(2015-08-09) (aged 84) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	193 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	Bakersfield (CA)
College:	USC
NFL Draft:	1952 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
New York Giants (1952–1960, 1962–1964)
Career highlights and awards
NFL champion (1956) NFL MVP – NEA, SN, UPI (1956) NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1962) 6× First-team All-Pro (1953, 1955–1959) 8× Pro Bowl (1953–1959, 1963) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team New York Giants Ring of Honor New York Giants No. 16 retired First-team All-American (1951)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 3,609 Yards per carry: 4.3 Rushing touchdowns: 34 Receptions: 367 Receiving yards: 5,434 Receiving touchdowns: 43 Player stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Francis Newton Gifford (born August 16, 1930 – died August 9, 2015) was a famous American football player. He also became a well-known actor and television sports announcer.

Frank Gifford played for 12 years as a halfback and wide receiver for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). After his playing career, he spent 27 years as a commentator for ABC's Monday Night Football.

In 1956, Gifford won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. That same year, his team, the New York Giants, won the NFL Championship. He played in eight Pro Bowl games during his career. In 1977, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After retiring from playing, Gifford became an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster. He was famous for his work on Monday Night Football, Wide World of Sports, and the Olympics. He was married to television host Kathie Lee Gifford from 1986 until he passed away.

Early Life and Childhood

Frank Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California. His father, Weldon Gifford, was an oil driller. Frank grew up in a family that faced tough times. They moved many times because his father looked for work during the Great Depression.

His family went to church every week. Frank's wife, Kathie Lee Gifford, shared that he always kept his faith. He graduated from Bakersfield High School.

College Football Journey

Frank Gifford first went to Bakersfield Junior College. He couldn't get a scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC) right away. This was because his high school grades were not high enough.

At Bakersfield, he became a Junior College All-American. This helped him get the grades he needed to join USC. At USC, Gifford became an All-American player. In his last season, he ran for 841 yards. He graduated from USC in 1952.

NFL Career Highlights

Gifford playing football, c. 1952-1964

Frank Gifford played his entire NFL career with the New York Giants. He started in 1952. He played both offense and defense for the team.

Gifford was chosen for the Pro Bowl eight times. He also played in five NFL Championship Games. His best season was likely 1956. That year, he won the league's Most Valuable Player Award. He also led the Giants to win the NFL title against the Chicago Bears.

In 1960, Gifford suffered a serious head injury during a game. He was tackled by Philadelphia Eagles player Chuck Bednarik. This hit is often called "The Hit" and is famous in NFL history. The injury caused him to retire from football in 1961.

However, Gifford made a comeback in 1962. He returned to the Giants and changed his position. He went from a running back to a flanker, which is a type of wide receiver. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl at three different positions. These were defensive back, running back, and flanker. He finally retired from playing after the 1964 season.

During his 12 seasons with the Giants, Gifford had 3,609 rushing yards. He scored 34 touchdowns by running. He also caught 367 passes for 5,434 yards. He scored 43 touchdowns by catching passes. He even threw 29 passes, completing 14 for touchdowns.

Frank Gifford was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1977.

After he passed away, doctors studied his brain. They found he had a condition called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This condition is linked to repeated head injuries from playing football. His family shared this information to help promote player safety.

Life as a Sportscaster

After his football career, Frank Gifford became a sports announcer. He worked for CBS first. He covered football, golf, and basketball.

In 1970, Monday Night Football started on ABC. Gifford joined the show the next year. He became the main play-by-play announcer. He stayed with the show for 27 years. His calm way of speaking balanced his lively partners, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell. Monday Night Football became a very popular sports show.

In 1980, during a Monday Night Football game, Gifford and Howard Cosell learned that John Lennon had been murdered. Gifford convinced Cosell to share the sad news live on air. Cosell then told the national audience about the tragedy.

Gifford also announced Super Bowl XIX in 1985 for ABC. In 1986, Al Michaels took over play-by-play duties. Gifford then became a color commentator. He still did play-by-play when Michaels was busy with baseball.

Gifford also reported on other ABC sports events. These included the Olympics and golf. He even announced Evel Knievel's famous jumps. He sometimes guest-hosted Good Morning America.

In 1977, Gifford won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality. In 1995, he received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. This award honored his work in NFL television.

On September 14, 2015, Monday Night Football paid tribute to Gifford. The announcers wore special gold jackets. This honored Gifford's famous broadcasting style.

Acting Roles

Frank Gifford also appeared in movies and TV shows. He played Ensign Cy Mount in the 1959 movie Up Periscope. This was a drama about a submarine in World War II.

He often played himself as a guest star on TV. He appeared in an episode of Hazel in 1963. He was also in The San Pedro Beach Bums and The Six Million Dollar Man in 1977. In 1994, he was on the kids' show The Adventures of Pete & Pete. He and his wife, Kathie Lee, appeared together on the sitcom Coach in 1995.

Gifford also acted in television commercials.

Family Life

Frank Gifford married his college sweetheart, Maxine Avis Ewart, in 1952. They had three children: Jeff, Kyle, and Victoria. Victoria Gifford later married Michael LeMoyne Kennedy.

Frank Gifford then married Astrid Lindley. Later, he married television host and singer Kathie Lee Johnson in 1986. They lived in Greenwich, Connecticut. They had two children, Cody Newton Gifford and Cassidy Erin Gifford. Frank and Kathie Lee shared the same birthday, August 16. They even hosted ABC's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics together.

Frank had an older sister named Winona and a younger brother named Waine.

Passing Away

Frank Gifford passed away on August 9, 2015. He was 84 years old, just a week before his 85th birthday. He died from natural causes at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

In November 2015, his family shared important news. They revealed that Frank had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This is a brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. His family hoped that sharing this would help medical research. They wanted to honor Frank's efforts to make football safer for players. He was involved in creating the NFL Players Association in the 1950s.

Awards and Honors

College Achievements

• 1951 All-American
• College Football Hall of Fame (inducted in 1975)
• University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame (part of the first group in 1994)

NFL Achievements

• Eight-time Pro Bowl selection
• 1956 NFL MVP
• 1956 NFL Champion
• 1959 Pro Bowl MVP
• No. 16 retired by the New York Giants
• Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted in 1977)
• Honorary co-captain of Super Bowl XLVIII

Television Awards

• Two-time Emmy Award winner
  • 1977 – Outstanding Sports Personality
  • 1997 – Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1995 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award
• Disney Legend (inducted in 2008)
• NSMA Hall of Fame (inducted in 2017)

Film and Television Appearances

Film Roles

Television Roles

Images for kids

• 

  Gifford (center) with Christopher Reeve and President Ronald Reagan in 1983.