Irv Cross, Pro Bowl star and legendary broadcasting pioneer, passed away early on Sunday near his home in Roseville, Minnesota at the age of 81, his former club Philadelphia Eagles said in a statement.
The former Pro Bowl defensive back spent six of his nine NFL seasons (1961 to 1965 and 1969) at the Philadelphia Eagles and three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (1966-68).
He became the first Black man to work full time as a sports analyst on national TV with CBS, and his co-workers remembered him with admiration.
“I’ve been around all kinds of people, from every walk of life. I don’t know that I could give you one person who was nicer than Irv Cross. He was a constant gentleman,” said sportscaster Brent Musburger, who teamed up with Cross on “The NFL Today”, the first live NFL pregame show.
The NFL pregame show, which also featured Jack Whitaker, Phyllis George, Jimmy the Greek and Jayne Kennedy through the years, was a must-see for fans.
Cross spent 23 years at CBS from 1971 and won the Pro Football Hall of Fame Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2009.
As a defensive back, he played nine seasons in the NFL after being a seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern in 1961. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and recorded 22 interceptions during his career, USA Today reported.
Messages of condolences and endearment from NFL fans who enjoyed Cross’s commentary over the years poured in on social media.
“RIP. A little part of what got me into football as a kid, gone,” a football fan @eplawer tweeted.
Another fan @Christo15202880 remembered how he liked listening to Cross reporting when he was a child.
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