Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall is the signature voice of sports broadcasting in America. As a professional football player, Pat was best known as the kicker for the legendary New York Giants championship teams of the late 50’s and ‘60’s. After his retirement from the gridiron, he became the mainstay of the CBS Sports broadcasting team for 32 years. In 1994, Pat and broadcast partner, John Madden, joined the Fox network. For 21 years, they were the strongest sportcasting team in the history of the game.
George Allen Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida. He won the Florida State Tennis championship and was twice won All-State Basketball honors before he became a football star at the University of Arkansas. Pat received an education degree in 1952 and later earned a master’s degree in Russian history. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952, but was traded to the Chicago Cardinals before ever playing a single game for Detroit. He was a place-kicker and tight end for Chicago from 1952 through 1957. He joined the New York Giants in 1958 and played in the 1958, 1959, and 1961 NFL Championship games, scoring five points in the legendary 1958 game (23-17 loss to Baltimore) and 10 points in the 1959 game (31-16 loss to Baltimore). Summerall also had a brief stint with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization.
He began his broadcasting career with CBS in 1960. In addition to football, he was the network’s signature voice for its golf coverage, including the Masters®, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NBA and five Heavyweight Championship Fights. The 1994 Masters® was Summerall’s final event for CBS. He was sports director of WCBS Radio in New York City from 1960 to 1971. At the same time he also served as host of the station’s four-hour, six-days-a-week morning news program and worked for the CBS Radio Network.
In total, Summerall has worked 16 Super Bowls on network television, the first five as a game analyst and the rest as the play-by-play man. To further Summerall’s astonishing Super Bowl statistics, he also worked on 10 Super Bowl radio broadcasts. Summerall and Madden worked eight Super Bowl broadcasts together-more than any other network broadcast team. Their broadcast of Super Bowl XVI in 1982 is still the highest-rated sports program of all time (49).
The winner of many prestigious awards in recognition of his contribution to professional football, include the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, and the NFL Alumni’s prestigious Order of the Leather Helmet. In 2002, he received the coveted George Halas Award, which has only been awarded three other times to the founders of the League-Pete Rozelle, George Halas and Art Rooney. Summerall’s also earned Sportscaster of the Year honors from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Quarterback Club, the Golden Mike Award from the Touchdown Club of America, 2005 Sports Legend Honoree, National High School Hall of Fame, 1989 Bert Bell Award, 1993 Joe Foss Challenge Award, Florida High School Sports Hall of Fame, Walter Camp Football Foundation Distinguished American Award and the Association of Tennis Professionals’ JAKS Award as Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. Pat was the first recipient and now annually presents the Pat Summerall Legends for Charity Award at the Super Bowl. He has also received an honorary doctorate degree.
Pat’s book, Pat Summerall, On and Off the Field will be released in August 2006. He is Founder of Summerall Sports Ltd. Pat and wife, Cheri reside in Southlake, Texas with their black lab, Amazing Grace.
MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
Pat Summerall- On and Off The Air
The Greatest Stories Never Told...Until Now
Pat Summerall is the signature voice of sports broadcasting in America. As a professional football player, Pat was best known as the kicker for the legendary New York Giants championship teams of the late 50’s and ‘60’s. After his retirement from the gridiron, he became the mainstay of the CBS Sports broadcasting team for 32 years. In 1994, Pat and broadcast partner, John Madden, joined the Fox network. For 21 years, they were the strongest sportcasting team in the history of the game.
George Allen Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida. He won the Florida State Tennis championship and was twice won All-State Basketball honors before he became a football star at the University of Arkansas. Pat received an education degree in 1952 and later earned a master’s degree in Russian history. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952, but was traded to the Chicago Cardinals before ever playing a single game for Detroit. He was a place-kicker and tight end for Chicago from 1952 through 1957. He joined the New York Giants in 1958 and played in the 1958, 1959, and 1961 NFL Championship games, scoring five points in the legendary 1958 game (23-17 loss to Baltimore) and 10 points in the 1959 game (31-16 loss to Baltimore). Summerall also had a brief stint with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization.
He began his broadcasting career with CBS in 1960. In addition to football, he was the network’s signature voice for its golf coverage, including the Masters®, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NBA and five Heavyweight Championship Fights. The 1994 Masters® was Summerall’s final event for CBS. He was sports director of WCBS Radio in New York City from 1960 to 1971. At the same time he also served as host of the station’s four-hour, six-days-a-week morning news program and worked for the CBS Radio Network.
In total, Summerall has worked 16 Super Bowls on network television, the first five as a game analyst and the rest as the play-by-play man. To further Summerall’s astonishing Super Bowl statistics, he also worked on 10 Super Bowl radio broadcasts. Summerall and Madden worked eight Super Bowl broadcasts together-more than any other network broadcast team. Their broadcast of Super Bowl XVI in 1982 is still the highest-rated sports program of all time (49).
The winner of many prestigious awards in recognition of his contribution to professional football, include the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, and the NFL Alumni’s prestigious Order of the Leather Helmet. In 2002, he received the coveted George Halas Award, which has only been awarded three other times to the founders of the League-Pete Rozelle, George Halas and Art Rooney. Summerall’s also earned Sportscaster of the Year honors from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Quarterback Club, the Golden Mike Award from the Touchdown Club of America, 2005 Sports Legend Honoree, National High School Hall of Fame, 1989 Bert Bell Award, 1993 Joe Foss Challenge Award, Florida High School Sports Hall of Fame, Walter Camp Football Foundation Distinguished American Award and the Association of Tennis Professionals’ JAKS Award as Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. Pat was the first recipient and now annually presents the Pat Summerall Legends for Charity Award at the Super Bowl. He has also received an honorary doctorate degree.
Pat’s book, Pat Summerall, On and Off the Field will be released in August 2006. He is Founder of Summerall Sports Ltd. Pat and wife, Cheri reside in Southlake, Texas with their black lab, Amazing Grace.
MOST REQUESTED TOPICS:
Pat Summerall- On and Off The Air
The Greatest Stories Never Told...Until Now
