Frank Deford is among the most honored and versatile writers in the country, his work appearing in virtually every medium. In the spring of 1998 he returned to the staff of Sports Illustrated, where he had worked from 1962 through 1989. Deford is a correspondent on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and he appears on National Public Radio each week on Morning Edition. His NPR column is posted on SI.com, and he contributes other commentary to the site as well. Deford is the author of 12 books, including his most recent novel, The Other Adonis: A Novel of Reincarnation (Sept. 2001). Two of his books, the novel Everybody’s All-American, and Alex: The Life of a Child, the story of his daughter who died of cystic fibrosis, were made into movies. Deford also wrote the original screenplay for the film comedy Trading Hearts.
Among his many honors, Deford is a member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. Six times he was voted Sportswriter of the Year by his peers in that organization. The American Journalism Review has cited him as the nation’s best sportswriter, and twice he was honored as Magazine Writer of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review.
Deford has been presented with a Christopher Award and with distinguished service to journalism awards from both the University of Missouri and Northeastern University. He has won both an Emmy and a Cable Ace arard for his television work.
A graduate of Princeton University, Deford served as the Editor-in-Chief of The National Sports Daily in its brief but celebrated existence. The Sporting News has described Deford as "the most influential sports voice among members of the American print media," and the magazine GQ has called Deford "the world’s greatest sportswriter." For the past dozen years Deford has served as the national chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A native of Baltimore, Deford currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children. October 2001
Frank Deford
