Pat Summerall facts for kids
Summerall in 2008
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| No. 21, 88 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | May 10, 1930 Lake City, Florida |
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| Died: | April 16, 2013 (aged 82) Dallas, Texas |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Columbia (Lake City, Florida) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Arkansas | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1952 / Round: 4 / Pick: 45 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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George Allen "Pat" Summerall (May 10, 1930 – April 16, 2013) was an American football player and famous television sportscaster. He worked for major networks like CBS, Fox, and ESPN. Besides football, he also announced big golf and tennis events.
Summerall called 16 Super Bowls on TV, which is more than anyone else. He also announced 26 Masters Tournaments in golf and 21 US Opens in tennis. He even helped with 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio.
He played football for the Arkansas Razorbacks in college. Then he played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1961. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions. His best playing years were as a placekicker for the New York Giants.
In 1962, he started his broadcasting career with CBS. He became famous working with Tom Brookshier and later John Madden on NFL games. After retiring in 2002, he still announced games sometimes, especially near his home in Texas.
Summerall received many awards for his broadcasting. He was named National Sportscaster of the Year in 1977. He was also inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame. An award called the "Pat Summerall Award" is now given out each year during Super Bowl weekend. It honors people who show great character and leadership.
Football Career Highlights
High School Sports
At Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida, Pat Summerall was a multi-sport athlete. He played football, tennis, baseball, and basketball. Basketball was his favorite sport. He was recognized as an All-State player in both basketball and football. He was later inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame.
College Football Years
Summerall played college football for the University of Arkansas from 1949 to 1951. He played several positions for the Arkansas Razorbacks, including defensive end, tight end, and placekicker. He studied Russian history and graduated in 1953.
Professional Football Career
Pat Summerall played professional football in the National Football League for ten years. He was mainly known as a placekicker. The Detroit Lions drafted him in 1952. He played for the Lions briefly before an injury ended his first year.
After that, he played for the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957. Then he joined the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. He was part of "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in 1958. His best year was 1959, when he scored 90 points. He made all 30 of his extra-point kicks and 20 field goals.
One of his most famous moments was in a game against the Cleveland Browns in 1958. The Giants needed to win to have a chance at the championship. The game was tied 10–10 in the final minutes. In snowy, windy conditions, Summerall kicked a 49-yard field goal. This amazing kick won the game for the Giants. It kept their championship hopes alive.
The Giants' coach, Vince Lombardi, was initially worried about the kick. But he was thrilled when Summerall made it. Sports Illustrated even featured the kick in a story. His last professional game was the 1961 NFL Championship. His Giants lost to Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
His nickname "Pat" was not from "point after touchdown" as some believed. He said his aunt and uncle started calling him Pat. This was to go with their son's name, Mike.
Broadcasting Career
Early Broadcasting Roles
In the early 1960s, Summerall hosted a morning radio show in New York City. He also co-hosted This Week in Pro Football, an NFL Films series. Later, he hosted high school sports shows like Sports Stars of Tomorrow.
CBS Sports Announcer
NFL Coverage
After retiring from playing, Summerall joined CBS Sports in 1962. He started as a color commentator for their NFL coverage. He worked with different partners, including Jack Buck. For the first Super Bowl in 1967, Summerall helped with the trophy presentation.
In 1974, CBS made Summerall their main play-by-play announcer. He teamed up with Tom Brookshier. This duo called three Super Bowls together.
In 1981, Summerall was paired with former coach John Madden. This partnership lasted for 22 seasons across two networks. They became one of the most famous broadcasting teams in sports history. They called many Super Bowls together, including XVI, XVIII, and XXVI.
Summerall had a calm, simple style of announcing. He let the action on the field speak for itself. For example, when a player scored a touchdown, he might just say, "Montana... Rice... Touchdown!" His last NFL game for CBS was the 1993 NFC Championship.
Other CBS Sports Events
Summerall also covered other sports for CBS. He announced ABA games. He broadcast PGA Tour golf tournaments, including the Masters Tournament. He also covered the US Open of tennis for 25 years.
He was the play-by-play announcer for the 1974 NBA Finals. He also called college basketball games and even some boxing matches. In 1970, he covered the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals in hockey.
Fox Sports Announcer
In 1994, the Fox network won the rights to broadcast NFC games. Fox immediately hired Summerall and Madden as their top announcing team. They called three more Super Bowls together at Fox. Their long partnership ended after Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, when Summerall announced his retirement.
Between CBS and Fox, Summerall called 11 Super Bowls as a play-by-play announcer. This was a record for many years.
Summerall came out of retirement briefly for the 2002 NFL season. He called some games, often featuring the Dallas Cowboys. He returned for a few games in 2006 and 2007 as well. From 2007 to 2010, he was the voice of the Cotton Bowl Classic college football game for Fox.
Post-Fox Broadcasting
After his main retirement, Summerall continued to do voice-overs. He provided sponsorship credits for the CBS Masters golf telecasts. He also did voice-overs for NFL Network game coverage. Kids might recognize his voice from the Madden NFL video game series. He was the commentator for the games from 1994 to 2002.
He also appeared in The Simpsons and Family Guy episodes. He even lent his voice to the movie The Replacements.
NFL on ESPN
In 2004, Summerall called several preseason and early regular-season NFL games for ESPN. He filled in for their regular announcer, Mike Patrick.
Sports Stars of Tomorrow
From 2005 to 2012, Summerall hosted Sports Stars of Tomorrow. This syndicated TV show focused on high school and college athletes.
Awards and Honors
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Summerall National Sportscaster of the Year in 1977. They inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1994. He also received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This award honors great contributions to football broadcasting. In 1999, he was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.
The "Pat Summerall Award" was created in 2006. It is given to a deserving person who shows character and leadership. Past recipients include James Brown, Jim Nantz, Cris Collinsworth, and John Madden.
Personal Life
Pat Summerall was married to Cheri Summerall. They had three children and ten grandchildren. Summerall was a Christian. He wrote about his faith in his book, Summerall: On and Off the Air.
Health Challenges
Summerall faced several health challenges during his life. In 1990, he was hospitalized and took time off from broadcasting. In 2004, he had a liver transplant. He also had cataract surgery in 2006 and hip replacement surgery in 2008.
Passing Away
Pat Summerall passed away on April 16, 2013, at the age of 82. He had been hospitalized for hip surgery. Many people in the sports world shared their sadness. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, called him "royalty in the broadcast booth." John Madden said Summerall was "a great broadcaster and a great man."
CBS Sports and Fox Sports both aired tributes to Summerall. He was buried at the Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery.
See also
- History of the New York Giants (1925–1978)
