Al DeRogatis

Al DeRogatis
	DeRogatis on a 1951 Bowman football card
Date of birth	May 5, 1927
Place of birth	Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
Date of death	December 26, 1995(aged 68)
Place of death	Spring Lake, New Jersey,U.S.
Career information
Position(s)	Defensive tackle
US college	Duke
NFL draft	1949/ Round: 2 / Pick: 14
Career history
As player
1949–1952	New York Giants
Career highlights and awards
	Second-teamAll-American(1948); First-team All-SoCon(1946); Second-team All-SoCon (1948);
Pro Bowls	2
Career stats
	Playing stats atNFL.com;
	College Football Hall of Fame;

Albert John DeRogatis(May 5, 1927 – December 26, 1995) was anAmerican footballplayer andtelevisionandradio sportscaster.

Life and career

DeRogatis was born inNewark, New Jersey,and attended the city'sCentral High School,earning All-State honors atcenter.AtDuke University,after akneeinjury shortened his junior season, he made the 1948All-Americateam as a tackle.

He was drafted the following year by theNew York Giantsof theNational Football League (NFL)and playeddefensive tackle.He was an NFLAll-Proin both1950and1951.A recurrence of the knee injury he suffered at Duke ended his playing career after four seasons of professional football. For thirty-three years beginning in 1953, he served as a vice president withPrudential Insurance.

From 1966 through 1975, the bespectacled DeRogatis served as acolor commentatorfor professional and college football telecasts onNBC,primarily withCurt Gowdyon the network's top broadcast team forAmerican Football League(later,American Football Conference) regular-season and playoff matches,Super Bowls III,VIIandIXand severalRose Bowls.He also was paired withJim Simpsonto call a fewOrange Bowls.Prior to joining NBC, DeRogatis had begun his broadcasting career working withMarty Glickmanon New York football Giants radio broadcasts onWNEW-AMfrom 1960 through 1965. DeRogatis was among several veteran announcers who returned to call some NFL telecasts for NBC in September 1988, while many of the network's regular broadcasters were busy calling that year'sSummer OlympicsinSeoul.

DeRogatis relinquished his NBC duties prior to the1976 NFL seasondespite one more year remaining on his contract with the network. He was also Vice President for Community Affairs with thePrudential Insurance Company,president of the National Sight Foundation and afflicted withglaucomaat the time.^[1]^[2]

DeRogatis can be heard with Gowdy calling a football game in the 1978 filmHeaven Can Wait.

DeRogatis was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Famein 1986. A resident ofSpring Lake, New Jersey,he died ofcancerat Jersey Shore Medical Center on December 26, 1995.^[3]

Legacy

Sports Illustratedmagazine's "Dr. Z" (akaPaul Zimmerman) has rated DeRogatis as his #1 football analyst of all time.^[4]

Upon his death in 1995, DeRogatis was eulogized in theBoston Globeas a prototype for what it means to be agentleman,in the sense of displaying a gracious, polite, kind and generous nature.^{[citation needed]}TheGlobealso published a picture of DeRogatis in the NBC booth together with Curt Gowdy andDon Meredithin the2006: The year in photosseries, after Curt Gowdy's death in 2006.^[5]

References

^"College Fund Fete To Honor Ewbank,"The New York Times,Sunday, May 5, 1974.Retrieved May 31, 2024.
^Wallace, William N. "DeRogatis Kicks the Pro Football Habit,"The New York Times,Sunday, October 3, 1976.Retrieved May 31, 2024.
^viaAssociated Press."Al DeRogatis, 68, Sports Broadcaster",The New York Times,December 28, 1995. Accessed July 14, 2011. "Al DeRogatis, a former defensive tackle for the New York Giants who achieved considerable popularity and recognition through his keen analysis of pro football games on radio and television, died of cancer on Tuesday at the Jersey Shore Medical Center. He was 68.... DeRogatis, who lived in Spring Lake, N.J., is survived by his wife of 45 years, Louise; two daughters, Mary Ann D'Agostino and Diane Hagen; two brothers, Pat and Michael; two sisters, Rose Mastracchio and Paula Mossucco, and five grandchildren."
^Masters of the Mic: NFL,Sports Illustrated news web site, retrieved June 23, 2007.
^2006: The year in photos,The Boston Globe, retrieved June 23, 2007.

External links

"Al DeRogatis, 68, Sports Broadcaster,"The New York Times,Wednesday, December 27, 1995.

Preceded by Kyle Rote	NFL on NBClead analyst 1971–1974	Succeeded by Don Meredith
Preceded by Kyle Rote	Super Bowl televisioncolor commentator (AFC package carrier) 1968-1974	Succeeded by Don Meredith

[1] "College Fund Fete To Honor Ewbank,"The New York Times,Sunday, May 5, 1974.Retrieved May 31, 2024.

[2] Wallace, William N. "DeRogatis Kicks the Pro Football Habit,"The New York Times,Sunday, October 3, 1976.Retrieved May 31, 2024.

[3] viaAssociated Press."Al DeRogatis, 68, Sports Broadcaster",The New York Times,December 28, 1995. Accessed July 14, 2011. "Al DeRogatis, a former defensive tackle for the New York Giants who achieved considerable popularity and recognition through his keen analysis of pro football games on radio and television, died of cancer on Tuesday at the Jersey Shore Medical Center. He was 68.... DeRogatis, who lived in Spring Lake, N.J., is survived by his wife of 45 years, Louise; two daughters, Mary Ann D'Agostino and Diane Hagen; two brothers, Pat and Michael; two sisters, Rose Mastracchio and Paula Mossucco, and five grandchildren."

[4] Masters of the Mic: NFL,Sports Illustrated news web site, retrieved June 23, 2007.

[5] 2006: The year in photos,The Boston Globe, retrieved June 23, 2007.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]