Legendary NFL Commentator Mike Patrick Passes Away at 80
Longtime ESPN commentator Mike Patrick, known for being the NFL voice for Sunday Night Football, has passed away at the age of 80.
ESPN has shared the heartbreaking news that play-by-play commentator Mike Patrick has passed away. For 36 years, Patrick served as the sports network’s NFL voice for Sunday Night Football for 18 seasons.
Dying of natural causes at the age of 80, Patrick passed away in Fairfax, Virginia. His doctor confirmed the news on Tuesday.
Beginning his career with ESPN in 1982, Mike Patrick had an undeniable effect on the network’s NFL coverage. ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus shared "Mike Patrick called countless significant events over decades at ESPN and is one of the most influential on-air voices in our history. In addition to calling ESPN's first-ever regular season NFL game and voicing the Sunday Night Football franchise for 18 seasons, Mike's work on college sports was exceptional. For 36 years, he called football and men's and women's basketball, including the Women's Final Four and so many historic matchups between ACC rivals Duke and UNC. Our deepest condolences to Mike's family and his many friends throughout the industry." Patrick called his last event on December 30th, 2017 for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
For Sunday Night Football, Patrick served as the voice of the NFL from 1987 to 2005. He also played a major role in college football and basketball, where he called more than 30 ACC basketball championships. He also served as the voice of ESPN’s Women’s Final Four coverage from 1996 to 2009.
Several other major voices in ESPN have shared their condolences. Dick Vitale shared on Tuesday "I'm so sorry to learn about the passing of Mike Patrick. I called him Mr. ACC as he had a great love for doing the big ACC games. Mike had great energy and a keen knowledge of ACC basketball, and I truly enjoyed sitting next to him calling so many special games over the years." ESPN’s Jay Bilas shared on social media “So sorry to learn of the passing of the great Mike Patrick. Mike was the voice of ACC Basketball when I was a player, and I had the honor of working with him and calling him a friend. Mike Patrick was a pro's pro. RIP Mike Patrick."
Patrick called his first regular-season NFL game in 1987, where he was joined by quarterback Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire. During college football events, Patrick provided support for Thursday Night Football and Saturday Night Football. Patrick also contributed play-by-play for ESPN’s College World Series coverage.
When exiting ESPN in 2018, Patrick spoke highly of his experience at the sports network, sharing “"It's wonderful to reflect on how I've done exactly what I wanted to do with my life. At the same time, I've had the great pleasure of working with some of the very best people I've ever known, both on the air and behind the scenes."
Patrick began his broadcasting career in 1966 at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania. He went on to serve as sports director at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida throughout the first half of the 70s. In 1975, Patrick headed to DC to serve as a sports reporter and weekend anchor for WJLA-TV.
In addition to his work in sports television, Patrick graduated from George Washington University as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.