Bob Trumpy, Pioneering Cincinnati Bengals Tight End and Broadcaster, Dies at 80
Bob Trumpy, a former cincinnati Bengals tight end who revolutionized the position and later enjoyed a distinguished career as a sports broadcaster, has died at age 80. The Springfield, Illinois, native passed away Sunday, November 3, 2024, according to multiple reports.
Trumpy played 128 games for Cincinnati, transforming the tight end role wiht the guidance of Bengals’ wide receivers coach Bill Walsh. He recorded 298 receptions for 4,600 yards – still 13th on the Bengals’ all-time list – and 39 touchdowns. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Trumpy remains the Bengals’ all-time leader among tight ends in both touchdowns and yards per catch (15.4).
at a time when tight ends were primarily utilized as blockers, Trumpy’s speed and receiving ability opened up new offensive possibilities. “I had speed for a guy who was, at that time, 6-foot-6, maybe 215 (pounds); I could get down the field,” Trumpy told The State Journal-Register in 2020. “I give all the credit in the world to Bill Walsh for recognizing and realizing that I shouldn’t just line up next to a tackle on every down. I followed his orders; he moved me all over the place and it blew up defenses all over the American football League.” Walsh went on to become a legendary head coach, winning three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s.
Following his playing career, Trumpy transitioned to broadcasting, hosting a sports call-in show on Cincinnati’s WLW radio and earning four Ohio Sports Broadcaster of the Year awards. He became a nationally recognized color commentator for NBC NFL telecasts from the late 1970s through the 1990s, also contributing to NBC’s Olympics and golf coverage. He continued in broadcasting with CBS/Westwood One’s radio broadcasts of NFL Sunday night games well into the 2000s, famously calling the debut game of Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback John elway.
“He was 1-for-8 and his only completion was a jump pass,” Trumpy recalled with a laugh in a 2020 interview.
In 2014,Trumpy was honored with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award by the Pro football Hall of Fame,a lifetime achievement award recognizing excellence in sports broadcasting alongside luminaries like jack Buck,Curt Gowdy,and Al Michaels.
