Gil Santos, Longtime WBZ And Patriots Icon, Dead On 80th Birthday

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Gil Santos, the iconic longtime voice of the New England Patriots and morning sports reporter on WBZ, died Thursday, which was his birthday. The Patriots and WBZ Hall of Famer was 80.

Santos was the play-by-play man for the Patriots for 36 seasons across five decades, first stepping in the booth for the team in 1966. He switched from color commentary to play-by-play when the team moved to 1971, a position he held until 1979. Santos returned to the radio booth in 1991 and remained there for 22 seasons.

"It (calling Patriots games) was never a job. It was an honor, a privilege," Santos said at his Patriots Hall induction in 2013.

Outside of football, Santos was the sports director for WBZ and worked the radio station's morning broadcast. He retired in 2009.

He also reported on the Boston Marathon, Olympics, and numerous championship events. Santos was the voice during the rise of the Patriots dynasty. He's called games for the Boston Celtics, Providence Friars basketball, Penn State Nittany Lions football, Boston College Eagles football, and the Boston Breakers of the USFL.

“For generations of Patriots fans, Gil Santos was and forever will be known as the ‘Voice of the Patriots.’ Tonight, I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing on a day that he was celebrating his 80th birthday and his 57th wedding anniversary to his wife, Roberta. Gil was a legendary broadcaster, who for 36 years passionately described the play-by-play detail of every Patriots game during his career, including many of the most memorable moments in franchise history. It was my privilege to honor Gil with his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013. His legacy and most memorable calls will live there for future generations of Patriots fans to enjoy. On behalf of the entire Patriots organization, we extend our sincerest sympathies to Roberta, his daughter Kathleen, his son Mark and the many others who are mourning his loss,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement.

Santos will be remembered by Patriots fans for his many memorable calls, including the excitement in his call of Adam Vinatieri's Super Bowl winning field goal against the St. Louis Rams during the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXVI.

Dan Libon contributed to this story.

Image Credit: Dan Libon