Broadcaster and NFL Hall of Famer Frank Gifford Dead at 84
One of the most well-known New York Giants, on and off the field, has passed away.
Gifford, who achieved celebrity status as a broadcaster, pitchman, and husband of Kathie Lee Gifford, died on Sunday, August 9, 2015, one week shy of his 85th birthday. In a statement release to the press and on comments on Twitter the family said that he died of natural causes in the family's home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
He played both offense and defense as a running back and wide receiver. He was the 11th draft pick overall in 1952, signing with the New York Giants as their first draft pick, and he never left that organization as a player until he stepped off of the field in 1964. Gifford had often boasted, tongue in cheek, in interviews that his first NFL contract was for $7,500 a year.
Gifford was voted the National Football League's most valuable player in 1956 and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1977.
He was first hired as a broadcaster by CBS and then by ABC.
He is survived by two children that he has with Kathie Lee, Cody and Cassidy Gifford.
Kathie Lee Gifford tweeted, "Deeply grateful to all 4 ur outpouring of grace. We r steadfast in our faith & finding comfort in knowing where Frank is. Phillippians 4:13."
His goddaughter, Kendall Jenner, tweeted that it was a "very sad day."
The family has requested privacy. No information on funeral arrangements has yet been released.
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