ESPN anchor Stuart Scott has passed away at the age of 49. He died early on the morning of Sunday, January 4.
Stuart Scott brought forth excited “BOO-YAH!” and “Boom-Shaka-Laka” cheers while also letting everyone know that a certain player was “as cool as the other side of the pillow.” The longtime staple at ESPN knew how to make everyone love sports and just smile while watching them.
As reported by Business Insider , the 22-year employee of ESPN has battled cancer since 2007. He has been a regular announcer on SportsCenter for years and also been an NFL correspondent while working on numerous other shows.
John Skipper, president of ESPN, released a statement regarding the death of Stuart Scott.
“ESPN and everyone in the sports world have lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott.”
ESPN referenced one of the most memorable moment s of the past year as July 16, 2014 at the ESPYs, when Stuart Scott accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. He had just gone through another round of battling cancer and delivered a speech that moved everyone to tears.
“When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”
Stuart Scott is someone that didn’t just get the fans to watch sports highlights, but he made them happy to be doing it. Whether their team lost or not, Scott knew how to captivate an audience with his charm, charisma, humor, and just overall positive personality.
We are heartbroken to report that Stuart Scott has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 49. pic.twitter.com/aI0TGwFqGU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 4, 2015
As is to be expected, the ESPN world was shocked and saddened by the passing of their co-worker and friend.
For those of us who live using words, today there are none. Our prayers to all who were touched by Stuart Scott’s incredible love of life. — MikeTirico (@miketirico) January 4, 2015
Dear God, RIP @StuartScott . This just literally took my breath away.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 4, 2015
The loss of Stuart Scott not only affects the ESPN offices, but the world of sports as a whole. There really will never be another one like him, and he’s someone that not only brought sports to the front, but let the world know that cancer didn’t need to be something to fear.
ESPN’s Stuart Scott is survived by his two daughters, Taelor (19) and Sydni (15). Those who have followed along with Scott during his career and fight against cancer know that Kristin Spodobalski, his girlfriend, was with him at all times and always by his side.
[Images via CNN and ESPN]