Pro Football Hall of Famer and Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw told NBC News on Tuesday his television career is winding down.
“I realize my time on television as a sports broadcaster is coming to an end,” Bradshaw, 78, said on “NBC News Daily” as he was discussing his new memoir, “Looking for Terry.”
Bradshaw was asked about his busy schedule when he made the remark; in addition to his writing, he has a horse ranch, a bourbon line and several grandchildren.
“I just love life. Billy Graham said, and I never forgot this quote, he said, ‘The day you retire is the day you start dying,’” Bradshaw said.
He added, “I’m a workaholic; I love to work,” before he said he knew he was nearing the end of his broadcasting career.
Bradshaw began his career as an analyst in 1984, the year he retired. He was a color commentator for CBS until he joined its pregame show in 1990.
In 1994, Bradshaw joined Fox, and he has appeared on its Sunday pregame show ever since. He and Howie Long are the only two members of the show who have been on the “Fox NFL Sunday” desk since its inception.
Bradshaw, a Louisiana native, spent all of his storied playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterbacking the legendary franchise from 1970 through 1983. He played in only one game his final season, retiring because of elbow troubles.
Bradshaw led the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins from 1974 to 1979, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to win three (as well as four) Super Bowls. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice and also won a regular-season MVP award in 1978.
Bradshaw was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, and no Pittsburgh player has worn his iconic No. 12 since he retired.
In addition to his broadcasting career, Bradshaw has spent part of his post-playing days as an actor. He appeared in television shows such as the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” and the fantasy football comedy “The League,” and he even participated in “The Masked Singer.”
In 2006, Bradshaw played the father of Matthew McConaughey’s character in the romantic comedy “Failure to Launch,” appearing nude in one scene.
In his memoir, Bradshaw also discusses some of the personal issues he has faced in retirement, including battling cancer and depression.
“I couldn’t understand why I had this horrible sinking feeling, and I was so miserable,” Bradshaw said of dealing with depression.
He added that it was difficult as a former NFL player to open up about his mental health issues, saying a good friend of his even once made fun of him for discussing his depression in the past.
“It was a hard thing for me to decide to do, because I didn’t want it to be taken lightly, and I didn’t want to be laughed at,” Bradshaw said.
He added: “A lot of men think if they dealt with depression that people are going to see it as a weakness. It’s a disease. It’s a disconnect.”
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