Mike Patrick, the original play-by-play voice of ESPN's NFL coverage, has died at 80

BRISTOL. Conn. (AP) — Mike Patrick, ESPN's first play-by-play announcer for its NFL coverage, has died. He was 80.

Patrick's physician and longtime friend sent a text to friends of the longtime announcer that Patrick passed away in Fairfax, Virginia, on Sunday due to natural causes.

Patrick joined ESPN in 1982, and was with the network for 35 years.

“Mike Patrick called countless significant events over decades at ESPN and is one the most influential on-air voices in our history. In addition to calling ESPN’s first-ever regular season NFL game and voicing the ‘Sunday Night Football’ franchise, Mike’s work on college sports was exceptional," said Burke Magnus, president of content for ESPN. "For 36 years, he called football and men’s and women’s basketball, including the Women’s Final Four and so many historic matchups between ACC rivals Duke and UNC. Our deepest condolences to Mike’s family and his many friends throughout the industry.”

Even though he called countless college football and basketball games, he is best known for his work on ESPN's “Sunday Night Football” from 1987 through 2005.

Patrick was teamed with Roy Firestone for the first season in 1987, before Joe Theismann became the lead analyst the following season. Paul Maguire came aboard in 1998 to make it a three-man booth. Patrick missed most of the 2004 season due to open heart surgery.

NBC took over the Sunday night package in 2006 when ESPN became the home of “Monday Night Football.”

Dick Vitale called Patrick “Mr. ACC” because of his love for doing big games from the conference.

“Mike had great energy and a keen knowledge of ACC basketball, and I truly enjoyed sitting next to him calling so many special games over the years,” Vitale said in a statement.

Patrick also did play-by-play for the women's Final Four from 1996 through 2009 and the College World Series from 2003-14.

Before joining ESPN, Patrick worked in radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and was the sports director at television stadiums in Jacksonville, Florida, and Washington, D.C.

Patrick grew up in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor of arts degree in speech.

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