from ProFootball HoF:Dan Dierdorf named Rozelle Award winner
July 7, 2008
Dan Dierdorf is the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, it was announced today. The award, given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recognizes “long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.”
“I’m obviously extremely flattered on many levels,” stated Dierdorf. “First of all, because of my close relationship with the Hall of Fame. Also, I knew Pete Rozelle.”
Dierdorf began his broadcasting career in 1984. That year he served as color analyst for KMOX Radio's coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals, announced National Football League games for the CBS Radio Network and provided color commentary for radio broadcasts of the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues. His extensive broadcasting experience includes 16 years with KMOX. He also served as sports director for KMOV-TV St. Louis.
Dierdorf noted that he has worked on radio or television with six previous Rozelle Award winners – Jack Buck, Dick Enberg, Frank Gifford, Lindsey Nelsen, Ray Scott and Lesley Visser. In addition, he worked for 2001 Rozelle Winner Roone Arledge during his time as a member of the Monday Night Football broadcasting crew.
A former NFL All-Pro tackle with the Cardinals, Dierdorf had been a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports' NFL broadcasts in 1985 before switching to color analysis in 1986. After serving as an analyst for ABC Sports' "Monday Night Football" for more than a decade beginning in 1987, the popular Canton, Ohio native returned to CBS Sports in 1999 as a game analyst for the network’s coverage of THE NFL ON CBS. He paired with Verne Lundquist in 1999 before spending six seasons as a partner with previous Rozelle Award winner Dick Enberg. Since 2006, Dierdorf has teamed with play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel.
Nationally recognized as one of the top football announcers in the industry, Dierdorf is a three-time Emmy Award nominee (1987, 1988, and 1989) as Outstanding Sports Analyst.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, Dierdorf played 13 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1983). He was named All-Pro five times, was selected as the NFL Players Association’s top offensive lineman three times and was voted to the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1970s.
Previous Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award Winners
2007 - Don Meredith
2006 - Lesley Visser
2005 - Myron Cope
2004 - Van Miller
2003 - Don Criqui
2002 - John Madden
2001 - Roone Arledge
2000 - Ray Scott
1999 - Dick Enberg
1998 - Val Pinchbeck
1997 - Charlie Jones
1996 - Jack Buck
1995 - Frank Gifford
1994 - Pat Summerall
1993 - Curt Gowdy
1992 - Chris Schenkel
1991 - Ed Sabol
1990 - Lindsey Nelson
1989 - Bill McPhail
He was a two-time All-Big Ten tackle at the University of Michigan, where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame and was a consensus All-America selection as a senior. Dierdorf was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and is also a member of the State of Missouri Hall of Fame and the State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was inducted into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor as recognition for his years with the Cardinals when they played in St. Louis.
Active in his community, Dierdorf has served for 23 years on the Board of Trustees of Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, which includes an emergency and trauma center named in his honor, and for 27 years on the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's St. Louis Chapter. He and his wife Debbie live in St. Louis and are the parents of four children.
Dierdorf will receive the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award on Friday, August 1 during the Enshrinees Dinner in Canton. That event is where the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008 enshrinees – Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman – will receive their gold Hall of Fame jackets from each of their presenters.
“I’ve had a close relationship with many of the previous winners,” commented Dierdorf. “To have my name added to this list that includes so many of my colleagues is very humbling.”
The Class of 2008 Enshrinement Ceremony takes place the following day at 6:00 PM. On Sunday, August 3, at 8:00 PM, the Washington Redskins and Indianapolis Colts will play in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
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