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ESPN on Tuesday announced that one of its NFL reporters has passed away.
Jeff Dickerson was the network’s Chicago Bears reporter and had covered the team for over 20 years. He died of colon cancer on Tuesday at the age of 44.
“Jeff was not only a great reporter and beloved colleague, he was also incredibly brave and served as an inspiration to those of us at ESPN,” ESPN tweeted on Tuesday. “He will be missed dearly.”
Dickerson had lost his wife, Caitlin, 2 years ago as she died after an 8-year battle with melanoma. He leaves behind a young son.
“I never heard him once, whether it was what Caitlin was going through, with what he has had to go through, I never once heard him pity himself. Ever,” said Tom Waddle, a friend and colleague of Dickerson’s. “Not once have I ever heard him say that this has gotten the best of me, that I didn’t deserve this. It’s amazing when faced with stuff like this, what strength some individuals have. I never heard a cross word, and it never felt like he thought he has been cheated out of anything.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
