CINCINNATI -- Former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy has died at the age of 80, the team announced on Sunday.
Trumpy was one of the team's original draft picks in 1968 and is the only player in franchise history to be a Pro Bowler in both the AFL and the NFL. Trumpy played 10 seasons with the Bengals from 1968 to 1977. He totaled 298 receptions for 4,600 yards and 35 touchdowns.
"I've known Bob since we started here and he had an extraordinary career as both a player and a broadcaster," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "He was an exceptional and rare tight end who could get downfield and split zone coverages. Speed was his hallmark. He was as fast as any wide receiver and was a deep threat. That was rare for a tight end then and it's rare now."
After his playing career ended, Trumpy had a very successful run as a broadcaster. His media career included national work for NBC covering a Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and the Olympics.
Trumpy was also a long-time host for WLW-AM, Cincinnati's most prominent radio station.
Most notably, Trumpy was heralded for an incident in 1983 in which a caller phoned into his show and said they wanted to commit suicide. Trumpy kept the caller on the line for two hours until police arrived at the caller's location, according to an archived report from United Press International.
In 2014, Trumpy was given the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, which is given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a lifetime achievement honor.
"As a broadcaster, he made his mark both locally and nationally and excelled at sports other than football in a career that was as successful as what he accomplished on the field," Brown said in his statement. "He did it all very well and I regret his passing."
