Former legendary Razorback Pat Summerall has died
by April 16, 2013 6:19 pm 137 views
Former Razorback football player and longtime sports broadcaster Pat Summerall passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82.
“We are all deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Pat Summerall,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said in a statement. “As one of the most recognizable graduates of the University of Arkansas, Pat was an ambassador for the Razorback program, our university and the entire state throughout his distinguished career.”
Long said Summerall was always a “proud Razorback” during his more than four decades of his “legendary” sports broadcasting career.
Before coming to Arkansas, Summerall was a multi-sport star at Columbia High School in Lake City, Fla.
Summerall began his illustrious career at the University of Arkansas as a defensive end, tight end and placekicker. A captain in 1951, Summerall played for the Razorbacks from 1949-51 before starting his professional career in the NFL.
His kick against No. 4 Texas is one of the most memorable plays in Razorback football history. The kick gave Arkansas a 16-14 win over the No. 4 Longhorns and gave the Hogs their first win over Texas in Fayetteville.
After he graduated from the University of Arkansas, Summerall was selected in the fourth round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played for three different teams (Detroit, Chicago Cardinals, New York Giants) during his 10 year tenure in the NFL. In 1959, he went 30-for-30 on extra points and made 20 of 29 field goals for a total of 90 points.
Summerall is most notably known for his career after football, as a play-by-play announcer for CBS and Fox. He spent 40 years in the broadcast booth and formed one of the most memorable tandems in television history with John Madden. The Summerall-Madden combo lasted for 22 seasons on two different networks. He was an announcer for 26 Super Bowls, the Masters and the U.S. Open of Tennis.
In 2012, he became the 19th Razorback to be honored in the Southeastern Conference Legends Program.
Summerall is a member of the Arkansas All-Century Team (selected in 1994) as a kicker and was named to the 1940s All-Decade team as an end. He is also a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.