Steve Sabol Dies of Brain Cancer

He and his father revolutionized how Americans watch and experience pro football games on television. Steve Sabol was president of NFL Films and has died of brain cancer. He was 69 years old.

Following a seizure in early 2011, Sabol was diagnosed with a brain tumor on his left side. It was not reported what kind of brain tumor he had.

Working with his father, Ed – the founder of NFL Films – the pair created everything from slow-motion replays to in-your-face engagement with the players themselves.

NFL President, Roger Goodell, said in a statement, “Steve's legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at football and sports, and a great friend.''

His father Ed was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. According to an Associated Press story, Sabol said at the time ''We see the game as art as much as sport. That helped us nurture not only the game's traditions but to develop its mythology: America's Team, The Catch, The Frozen Tundra.''

Sabol received more Emmys in more categories than anyone else. He won 35 Emmys for writing, cinematography, editing, directing and producing.

Cancers of the brain and nervous system are diagnosed in roughly 23,000 Americans every year.

Nearly 14,000 will not beat it.