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Iconic sportswriter Frank Deford dies at 78

By Alex Butler
President Barack Obama chats with writer Frank Deford before awarding him the 2012 National Humanities Medal during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. Deford died Sunday at 78 years old. File photo by Molly Riley/UPI
1 of 3 | President Barack Obama chats with writer Frank Deford before awarding him the 2012 National Humanities Medal during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. Deford died Sunday at 78 years old. File photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

May 29 (UPI) -- Sports Illustrated and NPR sports journalist Frank Deford died in Key West, Fla., his family announced. He was 78-years-old.

Deford's wife, Carol, confirmed the Sunday death to the Washington Post and NPR.

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Deford started his career with Sports Illustrated in 1962, where he gained a reputation for his long-form articles. He stayed at the magazine until 1982 and returned for a second stint in 1998.

In 1980, he joined NPR's Morning Edition, and later, he was a senior correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Deford was also the editor-in-chief of The National sports daily newspaper.

He authored more than a dozen books.

"The wonderful thing about delivering sports commentary on NPR was that because it has such a broad audience, I was able to reach people who otherwise had little or no interest in sport -- especially as an important part of our human culture," Deford told NPR earlier this month.

In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Deford with the National Humanities Medal.

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"A dedicated writer and storyteller, Mr. Deford has offered a consistent, compelling voice in print and on radio, reaching beyond scores and statistics to reveal the humanity woven into the games we love," Obama said at the ceremony.

In 1984, Deford wrote Alex: The Life of a Child. The book was written in memory of his daughter, who died of cystic fibrosis in 1980. It was later made into a movie starring Craig T. Nelson. Alex Deford died at 9-years-old.

Deford retired on May 3 with 1,656 commentaries for NPR. He was elected to the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters in 1998. Deford was a six-time U.S. Sportswriter of the Year, an honor voted on by his peers in the National Sports Media Association.

Carol and Frank Deford have two children.

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