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Collection of Tributes & Quotes for the Passing of Pat Summerall

With the news of Summerall's passing, we take a moment to collect some quotes and memories.

Summerall passed today from a cardiac arrest.
Summerall passed today from a cardiac arrest.
A. Messerschmidt

Man, this has been a difficult two days. Just one day after the tragedy in Boston, the sports world lost an icon. Every week when I post the Game Preview for the Redskins matchup, I list the announcers. There's always more than a handful of people who dislike whichever group is assigned. No one ever said that about Pat Summerall and John Madden.

I included some YouTube clips of Summerall broadcasting Redskins games. Like many people in the world, Summerall's voice is ingrained in my memory more than anything else I can think of off-hand. You will be missed, Pat. RIP.

Via the NY Post, Summerall broadcast for 16 Super Bowls and his last championship game was for Fox on Feb. 3, 2002, also his last game with longtime partner Madden. The popular duo worked together for 21 years, moving to Fox in 1994 after years as the lead team for CBS.

John Madden: "Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he was my friend for all of these years. We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He was a great broadcaster and a great man. He always had a joke. Pat never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will be."

Al Michaels: "Pat Summerall was just a classy, classy man," Michaels told me. "He had a very soothing style. Pat was what I would call a very comfortable listen. You could sit back and enjoy the game, and by design, he was more of a minimalist in how he approached things."

Mike Tirico: "Gold standard in so many ways. So many of us have broadcast the NFL there's the influence of the NFL. Summerall had a way to say more with less. When the moment got bigger, whether it was the NFL, the Masters (he was in the 18th tower for so many years), he had the way to set the tone but never got in the way of the event...Pat Summerall never seemed to rub anyone's fans the wrong way."

Jim Nantz: "He is CBS Sports. I always thought he could work here until he was 75 or 80 years old," Nantz told The Philadelphia Daily News then. "He's been a much larger influence on my career than I think he realizes. There will be a piece of Pat Summerall on the air as long as I do golf for this network."

Joe Theismann: "For those of us that had the chance to work w Pat Summerall, will miss a true icon. RIP Pat"

Daryl Johnston: "We have lost one of the greatest voices in sport. When you heard Pat Summerall's voice you knew it was a big event. You will be missed Pat."

Jerry Jones: "Pat was the NFL's narrator for generations, with a voice that was powerful, eloquent and distinctive. His presence at an NFL game elevated that event to a higher level. He was royalty in the broadcast booth. He was respected and admired by players, coaches, commissioners and Presidents of our country-and always a gentleman-someone who had time for the fans in the parking lot after the game...Our hearts go out to Cheri and his family. Pat was an icon and an American original."

Photos: Pat Summerall - December 27, 1958 - Classic Photos of Pat Summerall - Photos - SI.com

Darrell Green's Legendary Punt Return for TD in the Divisional Playoffs

Pat recapping Redskins George Allen era teams...

Redskins 1987 Divisional Intro (2:35 mark)

Pat Summerall broadcasting Redskins Super Bowl win vs Bills (9:00 mark)