Paul Tagliabue dies at 84: NFL world mourns passing of former Hall of Fame commissioner

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Paul Tagliabue dies at 84: NFL world mourns passing of former Hall of Fame commissioner image

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue died in Chevy Chase, Maryland, his family announced Sunday morning. 

He was 84 years old at the time of passing. The apparent cause of death for Tagliabue was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease.

A former lawyer before his time in NFL, Tagliabue replaced Pete Rozelle as commissioner in 1989, holding the position until Sept. 1 2006, when Roger Goodell was named his successor. 

Tagliabue is one of four NFL commissioners/presidents in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, alongside Joe Carr, Bert Bell and Rozelle.

Here is more to know about the passing of Tagliabue. 

NFL mourns death of  Paul Tagliabue

The NFL world came together to mourn the death of Tagliabue on Sunday. 

Goodell released the following statement praising his predecessor:

“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success.

“Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game—tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me.  

“During his Hall of Fame NFL career, Paul fostered labor peace with our players, oversaw the expansion of the league to 32 teams, ushered in an era of state-of-the-art stadiums and laid the important groundwork of establishing the league as a global brand.

“He helped modernize the structure of the league office and its business operations, providing the playbook for the NFL’s strategic embrace of his era’s emerging technologies including cable, satellite and the internet.

“Paul was a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion and guided the league through the challenges of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

“I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor. I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father.

“Jane and I extend our heartfelt condolences to entire Tagliabue family, especially Chan, his wife of 60 years, and their children Drew and Emily.”

Other NFL figures shared their condolences on Sunday:

Tagliabue had to handle the NFL's response to the Sept. 11th attacks in 2001, ultimately resulting in the season being pushed back an additional week. 

Tagliabue also oversaw the NFL's response to Hurricane Katrina, which displaced the New Orleans Saints just before the start of the 2005 season.

Tagliabue's alma mater, Georgetown University, paid tribute on Sunday.

NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent called Tagliabue a "Giant of a man."

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