Chicago native and legendary sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies at 78

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Legendary sportscaster and Chicago native Greg Gumbel has died at the age of 78.

According to a statement released by Gumbel’s family via CBS Sports, the longtime broadcaster had been battling cancer.

Below is a statement released by Gumbel’s family:

Whether you watched March Madness or caught NFL games on Sundays, chances are, you either heard Gumbel’s voice when he did play-by-play announcements or his face when he was anchoring as a studio host.

Gumbel made history in 2001 by becoming the first Black announcer in the Super Bowl.

Greg Gumbel was the older brother of fellow sportscaster Greg Gumbel, who was the host of "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on HBO.

Gumbel grew up on Chicago's Southside in the Hyde Park neighborhood. He attended and graduated from Chciago's De La Salle before attending Loras College in Iowa where he played baseball.

Gumbel's first job in sports broadcasting was at WMAQ in Chicago, which is now Chicago's NBC affiliate. He worked there for seven years before moving on to ESPN and eventually CBS, where he was a mainstay covering the NCAA Tournament.