From Alex Karras to Peyton Manning, NFL’s crossover stars

He died on August 9, 2015.

What’s most unfathomable is how early in his career Gifford served equal reps at defensive back-the more prolific Troy Brown of his better-welcoming tenure.

“You know how she always talks about her faith”, said Kotb. Her husband, the legendary NFL football player Frank Gifford, passed away on Sunday at 84 years old. The man, although flawed like the rest of us, was a champion among many realms before dying peacefully Sunday in his home in Connecticut at the age of 84.

“We rejoice in the extraordinary life he was privileged to live, and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such an incredible human being”, his family said. “We ask that our privacy be respected at this hard time and we thank you for your prayers”.

During their almost 29 years of marriage, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford faced many storms, but their love for each other could not be broken. “They somehow or other kept this family together”. Many remember him more notably as a ‘Monday Night Football’ pioneer, or Kathie Lee’s husband or just some name of mythology, but the New York Giants’ flanker with a amusing helmet and unscathed face is truly made untouchable by his elite representation of versatility and resiliency.

After completing high school in 1948, Gifford spent a year at Bakersfield Junior College earning academic credits for the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he was offered a football scholarship. The merger of the American Football League and the National Football League, a chapter focused on the coaches, Vince Lombardi of Green Bay and Hank Stram of Kansas City, the pre-game preparations and struggles, the game itself on that sunny day in Los Angeles and a detailed look at the action on the field of play, the post-game fallout and a special chapter on what happened to numerous participants afterwards.

Boomer Esiason, also an NFL star-turned-broadcaster, was in the unenviable position of replacing Gifford on “Monday Night Football” in 1998.

He transitioned into a highly successful and popular career as a sportscaster after he retired from football. While playing for the NFL, Gifford had several small roles in feature films and worked as a product endorser on television. Frank Gifford died of natural causes on August 9, 2015.

Kathie also posted on her personal Twitter account, writing a personal message to her fans.

He married Kathie Lee Epstein in 1986.

Frank Gifford wrote an autobiography in 1993 called “The Whole Ten Yards”.