On Jan. 28, 2001, the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV after defeating the New York Giants, 34-7. It was the franchise’s first championship, but what made it even more memorable was Greg Gumbel’s voice. Those who watched the game that evening would remember him announcing, “The time for Super Bowl XXXV has come. We are…”

During Super Bowl XXXV, he was working for CBS and was the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. No wonder David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, had great things to say about him. “A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time,” he stated. Unfortunately, Gumbel died from cancer. He was 78.

His family confirmed the news on Friday in a statement which read:

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer. Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity.

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.

“Greg’s memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him.  — Marcy & Michelle Gumbel.”

He is survived by his wife Marcy, daughter Michelle, and younger brother Bryant, who is also a known broadcaster and a former host of the ‘Today’ show. But another person who was very close to him was Terry Bradshaw. He couldn’t hold back his emotions as he took to X to share a final farewell to his former colleague.

“Rest in peace, Greg Gumbel. I miss you, buddy,” he wrote. Terry Bradshaw isn’t one to shy away from the spotlight, but on this particular Sunday, his usual boisterous energy was nowhere to be seen. As he sat on the FOX NFL Sunday set, his voice cracked with emotion. “I can actually say I owe my pregame career to Greg Gumbel,” Bradshaw shared.

“When CBS rebuilt the CBS Today show, they called me and said Greg Gumbel is going to be the host of the show. I’d met Greg, had meetings with him, but never worked with him.

“After working with him at the CBS show that morning, spending four years with him, we became really good friends. Fun guy, loved the Rolling Stones, great sense of humor. And he taught me so much about doing this show. And so I missed him for so many years. And his tragic departure from this world is something that has touched a lot of lives and it’s certainly touched mine. So rest in peace, Greg Gumbel. I miss you buddy.”

One of Bradshaw’s and Gumbel’s notable moments together goes back to December 1993. When the latter got to know that CBS had lost football, he quickly called up Bradshaw at 4:30 a.m. and said, “Did you hear the news? We lost football.” That moment of shared panic only deepened their camaraderie. You can almost picture ex-Steelers QB Bradshaw pacing the floor, wondering if his career was on a third-and-long with no timeouts. But there was something else that linked Gumbel and Bradshaw.

Cancer: A commonality among Terry Bradshaw, Greg, and Bryant Gumbel

Gumbel passed away from cancer. That’s the same disease that affected Bradshaw twice. In November 2021, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer during his routine checkup. During his treatment at Yale University Medical Center in New Haven, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and then was on further treatment for weeks. He would go back every three months for maintenance treatments.

However, just months later, Terry Bradshaw received another devastating news. In March 2022, he had an MRI after suffering from recurring neck pain. The doctors found a Merkel cell tumor, which is a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer in his neck. He had to undergo a neck dissection, followed by proton beam radiation therapy. These were done at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Later on, he was declared cancer-free.

Gumbel’s brother, Bryant Gumbel, also suffered from cancer previously. In December 2009, Bryant Gumbel shocked his live television audience when he shared he had surgery to remove a malignant tumor. “They opened up my chest, they took out a malignant tumor, they took out part of my lung and they took out some other goodies,” he said back then.

However, Greg Gumbel’s illness was kept relatively private. His last public absence from his role was during the 2024 NCAA Tournament and the reason shared was “family health issues.” But later, it was later revealed that his absence was due to his battle with cancer.

He had two stints at CBS. Gumbel left the network when it lost football but returned in 1998 when it regained the contract. In fact, he even hosted their coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and even called MLB. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships, and the next year, coverage of the Atlanta Summer Olympics. But he was well-known for his football and basketball coverage.

For his work and the impact that he produced, he won local Emmy Awards during his long career and was the recipient of the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting.