Nantz Becomes Youngest Ever Recipient of Award

CBS Sports' Jim Nantz is the 2011 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.  The award, given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recognizes "long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."  Nantz will receive the award during the Enshrinees Dinner on Friday, August 5.  He is the youngest recipient ever of this award.

Nantz, the two-time Emmy Award winning commentator for "Outstanding Sports Personality - Play-by-Play" and five-time National Sportscaster of the Year, has covered virtually every sport for the CBS Television Network since joining it in 1985.  He has been the lead play-by-play voice for THE NFL ON CBS since 2004, teaming up with Phil Simms on the Network's number one NFL and Super Bowl announce team.  For six years (1998-2003) he anchored the Network's NFL pre-game studio show, THE NFL TODAY and hosted its coverage of the Super Bowl.  In addition, Nantz is the anchor of CBS's golf coverage, including the Masters^â and the PGA Championship and lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball, including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and Final Four. 

Nantz also was honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as its youngest recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2002. Nantz joins Dick Enberg and Curt Gowdy as the only broadcasters to receive both Pro Football and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors.  

In 2007 Nantz became the first commentator in history to complete the rare broadcasting three-feat - calling Super Bowl XLI (Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears), the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Final Four and the Masters all in a span of 63 days.  In 2010 Nantz repeated the rare broadcasting triple beginning with his call of the most-watched program in television history (at the time of its airing), Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts), followed by the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Final Four and the Masters®. 

Nantz began his tenure at CBS Sports as the host of the Network's college football studio show (1985-88).  He was lead play-by-play announcer for CBS's coverage of college football (1989-90) and went on to cover the NFL in 1991.  By 1993, he was calling play-by-play for the Network's second-team coverage of THE NFL ON CBS regular-season and post-season broadcasts.  He returned as the lead voice of college football in 1996, calling the National Championship Games for the 1996 and 1997 seasons (Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska vs. Florida and Orange Bowl: Tennessee vs. Nebraska, respectively).  In 1997, he returned to the studio to anchor COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY. 

For Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Nantz was the Host and Chairman of the first-ever Super Bowl Opening Ceremony and concert spectacular:  Super Bowl XXXVIII: A Houston Salute. Nantz created and organized the event with former President George Bush, the chairman of the event. Along with former President Bush, and 41 of Houston's sports legends, they welcomed the Super Bowl to the city by officially kicking off Super Bowl week.

Nantz's myriad assignments for CBS Sports include play-by-play at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships for nine years overall, primetime host of CBS Sports' coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, co-hosting the weekend daytime coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games and coverage of NCAA track and field, skiing, speed skating, baseball, swimming and diving, gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Festival and Pan American Games and even polo.  He also served as host of the Network's coverage of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2001.  In addition, he had a prominent role in Kevin Costner's 1996 hit movie Tin Cup.

In January 2011 Nantz returned to his adopted hometown of Houston to team with The Methodist Hospital in Houston to create the Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC) in honor of his father.  It is an all-inclusive center committed to cutting-edge Alzheimer's research and treatment in hopes of one day finding a cure.  The NNAC (http://www.nantzfriends.org/) also focuses on the connection between concussions and other traumatic brain injuries in athletes and their effects on dementing illnesses.

Nantz was graduated in 1981 with a degree in radio/television from the University of Houston, where he was recruited as a member of the golf team.  He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater in May 2001 in recognition of his contributions to his profession and to the university.  While a student at Houston, he held a variety of broadcasting jobs, which led to positions at the city's CBS stations KHOU-TV and KTRH Radio.  Before joining CBS Sports, Nantz was an anchor at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, then a CBS affiliate.  While at KSL, he also broadcast Utah Jazz basketball games and did play-by-play with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young for BYU football games, including the 1984 National Championship year.

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CBS Sports Contact:    Jerry Caraccioli            212/975-7466              gwcaraccioli@cbs.com