CINCINNATI — Bob Trumpy, a foundational player for the Cincinnati Bengals and a revered sports analyst, has passed away at the age of 80. His passing was announced by the Bengals on Sunday, who noted that Trumpy died peacefully at home, surrounded by family. In tribute, the team observed a moment of silence before their game against the Chicago Bears.
Bengals president Mike Brown reflected on Trumpy’s impactful dual career in a heartfelt statement. “I’ve known Bob since our early beginnings, and his contributions both on the field and in broadcasting were nothing short of extraordinary,” Brown remarked. “As a tight end, Bob was a trailblazer, able to get downfield and split zone coverages with remarkable speed, a quality more associated with wide receivers than tight ends, both then and now.”
Beyond his playing days, Trumpy carved out a distinguished career as a broadcaster, gaining recognition on both local and national platforms. Brown noted, “His broadcasting career was as noteworthy as his playing days, extending beyond football to other sports, showcasing his versatility and expertise.”
Trumpy’s football journey began at the University of Utah, from where he was drafted by the AFL expansion Bengals in the 12th round of the 1968 common draft. He made history by scoring the Bengals’ first receiving touchdown with a memorable 58-yard catch against Denver on September 15, 1968.
To this day, Trumpy’s legacy is etched in the Bengals’ record books. His impressive stats include 4,600 receiving yards, 35 receiving touchdowns, and an average of 15.4 yards per catch—records that still stand as the highest for a tight end in the team’s history.
Trumpy’s 4,600 receiving yards, 35 receiving touchdowns and 15.4 yards per catch remain the most by a tight end in team history.
After retiring, Trumpy went on to have a distinguished career in radio and television. He joined NBC Sports as an NFL analyst in 1978 and called games through 1997, when it lost the AFC package to CBS.
Trumpy was NBC’s lead analyst with Dick Enberg from 1992-94 and he called two Super Bowls. He also called “Monday Night Football” and two Super Bowls with Don Criqui on radio. He would also be a part of three Summer Olympics and three Ryder Cups for NBC.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame gave Trumpy the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2014 for lifetime achievement in NFL broadcasting.
Trumpy also was a sports talk show host in Cincinnati from 1980 to ’89. In 1983, while hosting “Sportstalk” on WLW, he received a call from a despondent woman who said she was going to commit suicide.
Trumpy spent the next 2 1/2 hours on the phone with the woman — who identified herself as “Sugar” — until police located her.
“I don’t know why she called a sports talk show,” Trumpy told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “It probably was just the first phone number she heard on the radio and decided to call it.
“I sure didn’t feel like a hero after that. I hated that woman. She wasn’t the only one who had to go to a crisis center for therapy. So did I, since I couldn’t figure out why I hated her. They convinced me I hated her because of what she put me through.”
