Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for more than three decades, died Sunday morning at the age of 72, his family announced Sunday.
Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and was a regular contributor to the network’s NFL shows and “SportsCenter.” He was a regular news breaker for ESPN, including the news in 106 that that Peyton Manning was retiring from the NFL.
In 2016, he received as Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award winner and was honored during the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony in August that year.
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a statement. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades. He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”
Mortensen, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016, stepped away from his role at ESPN last year “to focus on my health, family and faith.”
“Mort helped set the journalism standard in the early days of ESPN. His credibility, attention to detail and reporting skills catapulted our news and information to a new level,” Norby Williamson, executive editor and head of studio production for ESPN, said in a statement. “More importantly, he was a great teammate and human being. He personified care and respect for people which became the culture of ESPN.”
Before coming to ESPN, he wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1983-90), covering the Falcons, Braves and the NFL, and won the George Polk Award in 1987 for his reporting. He also wrote for the sports daily “The National” (1989-90) and was one of the first writers hired by editor Frank Deford before coming to ESPN.
He also was a columnist for The Sporting News, a contributor to Sport magazine, and a consultant with CBS sports‘ “NFL Today” (1990).
Mortensen, who began his journalist career at the South Bay (California) Daily Breeze in 1969, won the National Headliner Award for investigate reporting in all categories. He received 18 awards in journalism and was nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes in his career.
Mortensen, a native of Torrance, California, was born on Nov. 7, 1951. He attended El Camino College before serving two years in the Army.
He is survived by his wife Micki and son Alex.
