LONGTIME SPORTS WRITER, COMMENTATOR DEFORD DIES

Frank Deford, the award-winning sports writer and commentator whose elegant reportage was a staple for years at Sports Il

lustrated and National Public Radio, has died. He was 78. He died Sunday in Key West, his family said Monday. Deford was a sixtime Sports Writer of the Year and a member of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He wrote and spoke with a lyrical touch and this month retired from NPR’s Morning Edition after 37 years as a contributor. He was the first sports writer awarded the National Humanities Medal. In 2013, President Obama honored him for “transforming how we think about sports.” “A dedicated writer and storyteller, Mr. Deford has offered a consistent, compelling voice in print and on radio, reaching beyond scores and statistics to reveal the humanity woven into the games we love,” Obama said at the time. Deford called the award the one he is most proud of. His long profiles, covering all corners of sports, were for years a showcase in

Sports Illustrated. Deford grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Princeton. He is survived by his wife, the former model Carol Penner; two children; and two grandchildren.