Frank Deford, American sportswriter, Died at 78

  Writer

Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Deford III was born on December 16, 1938, May 28, 2017.

He was an American sportswriter and novelist.

For four decades, Frank was a regular sports commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition radio program (from 1980 to 2017).

Deford wrote for Sports Illustrated magazine from 1962 until his death in 2017.

He was a correspondent for the Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel television program on HBO.

Deford wrote 18 books, nine of them novels.

Deford was a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, Deford was six times voted National Sportswriter of the Year by the members of that organization, and was twice voted Magazine Writer of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review.

During 2012, Deford became the first magazine recipient of the Red Smith Award.

Deford’s archives are held by the University of Texas, where an annual lecture is presented in his name.

He was a long-time advocate for research and treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Deford passed away at 78 years old.