Irv Cross.Photo: George Rose/Getty
Irv Cross, former professional football cornerback and celebrated pioneer sportscaster, has died. He was 81.
The death of Cross, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams during his NFL career throughout the 1960s and was selected twice for the Pro Bowl, wasannounced Sunday on the Eagles' website.
The team revealed that Cross died “early Sunday morning near his home in Roseville, Minnesota.”
The Eagles did not reveal a cause of death for the former athlete. However, Cross told thePhiladelphia Inquirerin 2018 that he had been diagnosed with mild cognitive dementia, and was planning to donate his brain to Boston University after his death so they could test it for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Cross was born in Hammond, Indiana, in 1939, the eighth of 15 children. He participated in football, track and field and basketball at Hammond High School. He went on to play football at Northwestern before signing on with the Eagles, then the Rams before returning to the Eagles.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder and Irv Cross in 1976.CBS
Later in his career, Cross was Idaho State University’s athletic director (from 1996 to 1998) and director of athletics at Malcaster College (1999 to 2005). He also became the first Black person to receive the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame’sPete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2009.
“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,” Musburger said after Cross' death, according to the Eagles. “He was a constant gentleman.”
Irv Cross in the late 1970s.Focus on Sport/Getty
RELATED VIDEO: Kathie Lee Gifford Speaks of Heartbreak after NFL Legend Husband Frank Gifford Dies
Clifton Brown, a sports writer and native of Philadelphia who worked with Cross on his memoirBearing the Cross, called the late athlete and sportscaster “a deeply religious man” and noted to the Eagles, “I know he would want me to mention that.”
“That was extremely important to him. He lived his life that way,” Brown added. “It wasn’t talk. I think that’s part of the reason people loved working with him so much. He was kind. He was patient. He was forgiving. A lot of things that are preached if you’re a religious person, it was truly that way.”
“In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to theAlzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundationor theConcussion Legacy Foundation,” they added.
source: people.com
