Cris Collinsworth Elected to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The UF Athletic Hall of Famer is the only NFL analyst other than John Madden to receive a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst.
NEW YORK - Gators Legend Cris Collinsworth has been named to the 2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class, the organization announced on Thursday.
The only NFL analyst other than John Madden to receive a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst, Collinsworth has taken home the award nine times. He currently sits alongside Mike Tirico in the NBC Sunday Night Football announce booth. His career began in 1990 when he joined NBC Sports as a game analyst for NFL coverage and selected college-football broadcasts. In 2005, Collinsworth joined the NFL on Fox broadcast booth alongside play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and former quarterback Troy Aikman to form the broadcaster's lead broadcast team.
During his time at UF from 1977-80, Collinsworth was a three-time All-SEC and two-time All-American performer at wide receiver. As a Gator, he caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards and 14 touchdowns, ran for two other touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another score. He was inducted in the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
Collinsworth played eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals compiling 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. The 1981 Rookie of the Year was also selected to play in three Pro Bowls.
This year's inductees also include: Val Ackerman, Big East Conference commissioner and first president of the WNBA; Lance Barrow, former CBS Sports producer; Tom Fletcher, inventor of the super-slo-mo camera and other innovations; Steve Hellmuth, former NBA EVP, media operations and technology; Ernie Johnson, long-time NBA on TNT studio-show host; Andrea Joyce, leading sports reporter; Tony Petitti, Big Ten Conference Commissioner and former TV-network executive; Jeff Zachary, legendary camera operator.
The 2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted in a ceremony on Dec. 12 at the New York Hilton.
(Special to 1st & Ten Florida by Florida Athletics)