Daniel Jeremiah delivers heartfelt message concluding NFL Combine following Chris Mortensen passing
The sports media landscape suffered a major loss on Sunday after news broke that long-time NFL reporter Chris Mortensen died at the age of 72.
Mortensen was an award-winning journalist who retired from ESPN in September of 2023 following over three decades of NFL coverage for ESPN and a Stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis in January 2016. Widely regarded as a pioneer and trailblazer in the sports media space specifically for his impact in reporting the NFL.
Mortensen was a mentor to NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who reported live this weekend at the NFL Combine alongside Rich Eisen. With Jeremiah delivering an emotional message and reaction to Mortensen’s passing to close out NFL Network’s combine coverage in Indianapolis on Sunday moments after the news broke.
“He’s my mentor, he’s one of my best friends, I’ve said it many times. I don’t even want to talk about me, he’s done everything for me, I’ve told that, I don’t want to tell that story,” Jeremiah said. “I just want to look in the camera and tell Micki his wife and Alex his son that every time I talk to Mort you guys came up because he was so proud of you. He loves you so much, you’re always in his heart, you’re always on his mind.”
“He’s a sweet, sweet person with a sweet family and that’s who I’m thinking about right now,” Jeremiah said with tears in his eyes.
Prior to becoming a staple in ESPN’s NFL coverage, Mortensen wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The National, The Sporting News, and Daily Breeze in California where he started his journalism career. Receiving 18 awards in journalism and two nominations for Pulitzer Prizes throughout his prestigious career.
But above all, Mortensen was a family man and a person with a passion for the game of football. Which Jeremiah continued to detail in his remarks.
“He loved this game too, he texted me yesterday. He wanted to know how Rattler was gonna do in the workout,” Jeremiah said regarding South Carolina quarterback and combine participant Spence Rattler. “So we talked about Rattler, we were texting back and forth yesterday. He loved this game and that’s why when we found out about this the last thing I wanted to do was come on here.”
“But man, he’d have punched me in the face if we didn’t do this and have fun and enjoy this great game that he loved so much,” Jeremiah concluded.
There’s no question that Mortensen will be missed by Jeremiah and many more in the sports landscape and beyond following his death. But there’s also no doubt that the legacy he’s left behind will be long remembered following his memorable influence on the industry.