15 Facts About Jack Whitaker

John Francis Whitaker was an American sportscaster who worked for both CBS and ABC.

Jack Whitaker was a decorated army veteran of World War II.

Jack Whitaker fought in the Normandy Campaign and was wounded by an artillery strike.

Jack Whitaker continued to work for CBS' Philadelphia station while beginning to take assignments for the network.

Jack Whitaker entered network sports in 1961 at CBS, where he did play-by-play for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL and hosted the anthology series CBS Sports Spectacular among other duties.

Jack Whitaker worked for CBS for more than two decades.

Jack Whitaker is probably best remembered for his coverage of golf and horse racing.

Jack Whitaker covered thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown Events, golf's four major championships, the first Super Bowl, championship boxing, the National Professional Soccer League in 1967, the North American Soccer League a year later, and Major League Baseball.

Jack Whitaker was a studio host for The NFL Today at CBS, the network's pre-game show.

Jack Whitaker was banned from covering the Masters golf tournament for CBS after tournament chairman Clifford Roberts took offense when he said "Here comes the mob" in reference to the arrival of the gallery at the 18th hole of the Augusta National Golf Club at the end of a playoff in 1966.

Jack Whitaker had been the only living television broadcaster from the first seven Super Bowls since the death of Frank Gifford on August 9,2015.

Jack Whitaker was a part of ABC's sports team at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the 1984 Winter and Summer Olympic Games and the 1990 Little League World Series.

Jack Whitaker left ABC around 2004, and retired from the network in 1993.

Jack Whitaker died on August 18,2019, in Devon, Pennsylvania, during his sleep from natural causes.

Jack Whitaker won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host or Commentator in 1979, for writing in 1990 and the Lifetime Achievement award in 2012.