Following 13-Year Hall of Fame Playing Career and 30 Years as Broadcaster,

Dierdorf to Step Down After 2013-2014 Season

After 43 consecutive years in the National Football League as a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame broadcaster, Dan Dierdorf has announced his retirement following this season.

Dierdorf, who is the longest-tenured NFL analyst on television and teams with Greg Gumbel for NFL ON CBS coverage, has spent the past 30 years as an NFL broadcaster, following a 13-year playing career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I have been blessed to spend my entire life in the game I love,” said Dierdorf.  “I had an opportunity to go from the field directly to the broadcast booth where I have had the privilege of working with the giants of our business including Ray Scott, Lindsey Nelson, Jack Buck, Dick Stockton, Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Verne Lundquist, Dick Enberg and lastly, my partner, Greg Gumbel. It has become a challenge for me to travel to a different NFL city every week, so it’s time to step aside. This has been a wonderful ride as I really have lived the dream.”

“For 43 NFL seasons Dan Dierdorf has been a consummate professional both on the field and in the broadcast booth,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Very few people in any profession can boast a Hall of Fame playing career and Hall of Fame broadcasting career.  Dan, without question, is one of them.  His CBS Sports family will miss him on Sundays, but we wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Dierdorf was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and was the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.  The Rozelle Award is annually given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of “long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.”  He joins Frank Gifford, John Madden and Len Dawson as the only members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to also have won the Rozelle Award.  

Dierdorf began his NFL broadcasting career in 1984 as a color analyst for KMOX’s Radio coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals and NFL games for CBS Radio Network. He was a play-by-play announcer for THE NFL ON CBS broadcasts in 1985 before switching to color analysis in 1986.  In 1987 Dierdorf joined ABC Sports' "Monday Night Football" for 12 years, before returning to CBS Sports in 1999.

"A Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame broadcaster, a unique combination of knowledge and experience that few others can match,” said Gumbel.  “There has never been a day I've worked with Dan when I didn't learn something about the game of football.  For that, and for so much more, I'm forever grateful. His departure is the fans' loss.  Our loss.  My loss. We will all miss Dan Dierdorf."

During a 13-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1983), Dierdorf was named All-Pro six times, was selected as the NFL's top offensive lineman three times and was voted to the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1970s.  He was a two-time All-Big Ten tackle at the University of Michigan, where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame and named to seven All-American teams as a senior.  Dierdorf was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.  

For complete bio, link to: http://bit.ly/1iglCkR

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CBS Sports Contacts: Jen Sabatelle  212-975-4120  jsabatelle@cbs.com

                                 Robin Brendle  212-975-1533  rlbrendle@cbs.com

                                  Jerry Caraccioli 212-975-7466  gwcaraccioli@cbs.com