It felt like we all lost a friend on Tuesday when we learned of the death of Pat Summerall who was 82.

  We remember him for his broadcasting excellence. For so many years, his voice was what Sunday was all about.

 Summerall briefly played for the Detroit Lions. He was drafted by the Lions with the 45th overall pick in the 1952 draft. He played in Detroit’s preseason that year, then broke his arm which ended his season. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals in 1953. He played 10 years in the NFL mostly as a placekicker.

 Lions team president Tom Lewand issued a statement on the passing of Summerall:

“On behalf of the William Clay Ford Family and the entire Detroit Lions organization, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Pat’s wife Cheri, his children and his legions of fans and friends across the sports universe.

“Pat’s impact on the National Football League was undeniably profound. For those of us fortunate to have grown up listening to Pat, it often seemed like he was broadcasting the game right there in our living room with us. His style was simple, unique and impactful.

“For nearly four decades Pat’s voice was synonymous with the best of NFL football. No one did it better. He touched generations of football fans and all of us in the NFL owe a debt of gratitude to Pat for his many contributions to our game.”

  Summerall’s television career started on CBS and moved to Fox. He covered 16 Super Bowls. His last game with his long-time TV partner John Madden was at Super Bowl XXXVI in early 2002.