ESPN football analyst and award-winning journalist Chris Mortensen died Sunday, the network announced. He was 72 years old.
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and widely loved as a supportive and hard-working teammate,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and remained at the top of his field for decades. He will be truly missed by his colleagues and fans and will be dearly missed in our hearts.” Thoughts are with his loved ones.”
Mortensen announced in January 2016 that he had stage IV throat cancer.
He first appeared in 1991 as part of the ESPN show. nfl game day and outside the line After working as a newspaper reporter for several years, he served as a consultant for CBS's “NFL Today.” He won the George Polk Award for his reporting in 1987 while on the television staff. atlanta journal constitution.
Mortensen served two years in the Army during Vietnam and began his journalistic career in 1969 at the Daily Breeze, a newspaper based in his hometown of Torrance, California. He worked at Sporting News and the National before joining ESPN and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize twice during his career.
Mortensen was the recipient of the Dick McCann Award for Professional Football Writers in 2016.
“Mort helped establish the standards of journalism in ESPN's early years. His credibility, attention to detail and reporting skills took our news and information to a new level.” said Norby Williamson, Executive Editor and Head of Studio Production. statement. “More importantly, he was a great teammate and person. He exemplified the care and respect for people that has become our culture at ESPN.”
Mortensen, who previously served as a senior NFL analyst at ESPN, became a mainstay of ESPN's NFL coverage, being featured on various programs on the network throughout the year.
Mortensen's son, Alex, played quarterback at the University of Arkansas. He is survived by his wife Mickey and son.
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