Frank Gifford Biography (1930-)
Full name, Francis Newton Gifford; born August 16, 1930, in Santa Monica, CA;son of Weldon (an oil driller) and Lola Mae (Hawkins) Gifford; married Maxine Avis Ewart (divorced); married Astrid Lindley (divorced); Kathie Lee Johnson, October 18, 1986; children: (first marriage) Jeffrey, Kyle, Victoria; (third marriage) Cody Newton, Cassidy Erin. Career: Sports announcer and actor. New York Giants, 1952-64, professional football player; KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA, sportscaster, 1957; WCBS-TV, New York City, sports reporter, 1961-65; CBS, sportscaster, 1965-71; ABC, sportscaster, 1971-. Also appeared in commercials and worked in the oil fields. Member: Society of Multiple Sclerosis (member of the board), Special Olympics (chair of the sportscasting committee, 1974-, and member of the board of directors, 1983-). Awards, Honors: National Football League most valuable player and the Sporting News National Football League player of the year, both 1956; most valuableplayer, National Football League's Pro Bowl, 1959; National Football League comeback player of the year, UPI, 1962; sportsman of the year, Catholic YouthOrganization, 1964; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding sports programming, 1974, for N.F.L. Monday Night Football; inductee, National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, 1975; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding sports broadcaster, 1975, for N.F.L. Monday Night Football; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding sports personality, 1976, for N.F.L. Monday Night Football and XII Winter Olympics; inductee, Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1977; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding sports personality, 1979 and 1980; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding sports personality, 1980; Christopher Award, 1984,for Special Olympics coverage on ABC's Wide World of Sports; Career Achievement Award, National Football League Alumni, 1985; Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1995; Emmy Award, lifetime achievement-sports, 1997.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Television sportscaster, actor
- Birth Details
- August 16, 1930
- Santa Monica, California, United States
Famous Works
- CREDITS
- Television Appearances
- Series
- Host, Sunday Sports Spectacular, CBS, 1965-71
- Sports announcer and commentator, N.F.L. Monday Night Football (also known as Monday Night Football), ABC, 1971-98
- Specials
- The Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies, ABC, 1987
- Host, Coca-Cola Presents the U.S. Olympic Trials: Heart and Seoul,ABC, 1988
- Commentator, Calgary '88: The Olympic Adventure Begins, ABC, 1988
- Host (with others), 1988 Winter Olympic Games, ABC, 1988
- Host, ABC's N.F.L. Monday Night Football: 20th Anniversary Special, ABC, 1989
- The Television Academy Hall of Fame (also known as The 6th Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame), Fox, 1990
- Victory and Valor: A Special Olympics All-Star Celebration (also known as The International Special Olympics All-Star Gala), ABC, 1991
- Host, ABC's Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special, ABC, 1991
- Commentator, Super Bowl XXV, ABC, 1991
- The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1992
- Presenter, Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards, 1992
- Presenter, Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards Presented by Footlocker, 1993
- Kathie Lee.Looking for Christmas, CBS, 1994
- Presenter, Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards, 1994
- Billy Ray Cyrus: A Year on the Road (also known as A Year in the Life of the Billy Ray), ABC, 1994
- The N.F.L. at 75: An All-Star Celebration, ABC, 1995
- Kathie Lee: Home for Christmas, CBS, 1995
- Host, Variety Children's Charity Telethon (also known as 10th Annual Variety Children's Charity Telethon), 1995
- Commentator, Super Bowl XXIX, ABC, 1995
- Commentator, AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, ABC, 1995
- Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
- ABC's Wide World of Sports 35th Anniversary Special, ABC, 1996
- Interviewee, Spotlight with Phyllis George, TNN, 1996
- Host, ABC's N.F.L. Monday Night Football Mania!, ABC, 1996
- Plugged In: A Parents' Guide to TV, The Family Channel, 1997
- Television Work
- Specials
- Executive producer, Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
- Television Appearances
- Episodic
- Himself, Coach, ABC, 1994
- Himself, Coach, ABC, 1995
- Himself, Spin City (also known as Spin), ABC, 1996
- Himself, Coach, ABC, 1996
- Interviewee, "Art Buchwald: The Wit of Washington," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
- Also appeared as himself, "Rangeboy," The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Nickelodeon.
- Pilots
- Appeared in Public Enemy and Turnpike.
- Film Appearances
- Athletic double for Jerry Lewis, That's My Boy, Paramount, 1951
- Stanley Pomeroy, The All American (also known as The Winning Way), Universal, 1953
- Darby's Rangers, Warner Bros., 1958
- Mount, Up Periscope, Warner Bros., 1959
- Himself, Paper Lion, United Artists, 1968
- Announcer, The World's Greatest Athlete, Buena Vista, 1973
- Himself, Two Minute Warning, Universal, 1976
- Himself, Viva Knieval! (also known as Seconds to Live), Warner Bros., 1977
- Himself, Jerry Maguire, Columbia/TriStar, 1996
- Film Work
- Technical consultant, The All American (also known as The Winning Way), Universal, 1953
- Stuntperson, Sign of the Pagan, Universal, 1954
- WRITINGS
- Nonfiction
- Frank Gifford's Football Guide Book: Basic Plays and Playing Techniques for Boys, McGraw-Hill (New York City), 1964
- Frank Gifford's N.F.L.-A.F.L. Football Guide, New American Library(New York City), 1968
- Pro Football Guide for 1970, New American Library, 1970
- (With Charles Mangel) Gifford on Courage, M. Evans (New York City), and Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), both 1976
- (With Harry Waters) The Whole Ten Yards, Random House (New York City), 1993
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
- Contemporary Authors, Volume 109, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1983.
- Cosmopolitan, November 1997, pp. 268-270.
- Esquire, January 1995, pp. 30-32; August, 1997, p. 21.
- Good Housekeeping, August 1997, pp. 86-89.
- Ladies Home Journal, February 1996, pp. 100-101.
- New Republic, June 9, 1997, pp. 11-12.
- People Weekly, June 2, 1997, pp. 106-112; June 9, 1997, pp. 84-89.
- Sporting News, September 5, 1994, pp. S34-S35.
- Time, May 26, 1997, p. 123; June 2, 1997, pp. 87-88; January 26, 1998, p. 25.
- TV Guide, November 29, 1997, pp. 73-74; February 7, 1998, p. 42.*