ESPN’s Chris Mortensen honored with PFWA award

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has won the Dick McCann Award from the Professional Football Writers of America for his long and distinguished contribution to NFL media coverage.

Mortensen has worked as a senior analyst for ESPN for 25 years.

Mortensen has covered every Super Bowl since 1979 with the exception of this year’s game, which he missed after being diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, Mortensen was heavily involved in ESPN’s coverage of Peyton Manning’s retirement.

After working for six years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and also writing for The Sporting News and The National, Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991.

The award is named for the first director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a long-time reporter in New York with several newspapers.