ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen dead at 72

[True Dough]

Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for more than three decades, died Sunday morning at the age of 72, his family announced.

Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and was a regular contributor to the network's NFL shows and "SportsCenter." He was a regular news breaker for ESPN, including the news in 2016 that Peyton Manning was retiring from the NFL.

Manning, in a post to Instagram, wrote that he was "heartbroken" by the news of Mortensen's death.

"We lost a true legend. Mort was the best in the business and I cherished our friendship. I trusted him with my announcement to sign with the Broncos and with the news of my retirement. I will miss him dearly and my thoughts and prayers are with Micki & his family. Rest in peace, Mort," Manning said in his post.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39647922/award-winning-nfl-reporter-chris-mortensen-dies-age-72

[True Dough]

1. Peyton Manning pays tribute

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4EUu4iRKvn/?utm_source=ig_embed&img_index=1

Heartbroken. We lost a true legend. Mort was the best in the business and I cherished our friendship. I trusted him with my announcement to sign with the Broncos and with the news of my retirement. I will miss him dearly and my thoughts and prayers are with Micki & his family. Rest in peace, Mort.

[DarthDem]

2. That's sad

He struck me as a genuinely nice man. May he RIP.