SI scribe Deford dies at 78

Award-winning sports writer and commentator Frank Deford has died at 78

He died Sunday in Key West, Fla., his family said.

Deford was a six-time Sportswriter of the Year and a member of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He wrote with a lyrical elegance on everything from the 1903 New York Giants to Bobby Knight, and was best known for his work at Sports Illustrated and on National Public Radio.

He retired this month from NPR’s “Morning Edition” after 37 years.

“Frank was dealing with an audience that doesn’t turn to the sports pages first thing,” said Tom Goldman, an NPR sports correspondent who recently spent time with Deford in Key West.

“And he was proudest of the many comments he got over the years from people saying, ‘I don’t really like sports, but I like what you did, and you made me more interested in it.’ ”