Former Cincinnati Bengals tight end and broadcaster Bob Trumpy has died at the age of 80.
Trumpy was an original member of the Bengals, scoring the franchise’s first touchdown and earning four Pro Bowl selections.
After his playing career, he became a successful broadcaster for NBC Sports and Westwood One, calling four Super Bowls.
Former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy, who went on to an even greater second career as a broadcaster, has died at the age of 80.
Trumpy was an original member of the Bengals, scoring the first touchdown in franchise history. He was a 12th round draft pick in 1968, but his receiving skills powered him to a four Pro Bowl selections and nearly 300 receptions by the time his playing career ended in 1977.
From there, he began hosting a sports talk show in Cincinnati, kicking off a 30-year broadcasting career in radio and television. He joined NBC Sports and rose to the network’s No. 1 NFL announcing team, calling four Super Bowls, as well as three Ryder Cups and three Olympics from 1978 to 1997. He later called NFL Sunday Night Football on radio for Westwood One from 2000 and 2007.
‘I’ve known Bob since we started here and he had an extraordinary career as both a player and a broadcaster,’ Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement.
‘He was an exceptional and rare tight end who could get downfield and split zone coverages. Speed was his hallmark. He was as fast as any wide receiver and was a deep threat. That was rare for a tight end then and it’s rare now. As a broadcaster, he made his mark both locally and nationally, and excelled at sports other than football in a career that was as successful as what he accomplished on the field. He did it all very well and I regret his passing.’
In 2014, Trumpy capped his broadcasting career by receiving the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio & Television Award for ‘longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.’