Bob Trumpy

Robert Theodore Trumpy Jr. (March 6, 1945 – November 2, 2025) was an American professional football player and sports broadcaster. He was a tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1968 through 1977. He was a two-time NFL Pro Bowler and two-time AFL All-Star.

Trumpy played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and Utah Utes before being selected by the Bengals in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. After his playing career, Trumpy spent many years as a broadcast color analyst, calling four Super Bowls. He was given the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Early life Robert Theodore Trumpy Jr. was born on March 6, 1945, Sources published in 1993 differ on whether he was born in Bloomington, Indiana, The New York Times wrote in his obituary that he was born in Mount Pulaski, Illinois. He was on Springfield's state championship basketball team, and he was team captain as a senior there, as well as being named All-State. He was inducted into the Basketball Museum of Illinois Hall of Fame in 1983. He missed the last two games of the season with a knee injury.

Professional career After being discharged from the Navy, Trumpy worked briefly as a bill collector before being selected by the AFL's Bengals in the 12th round (301st overall) of the 1968 common draft. Despite his low draft selection, Trumpy worked hard in the offseason and managed to earn the starting tight end spot in the team's lineup. He didn't disappoint in his rookie season, recording 37 receptions for 639 yards and three touchdowns, and earning a place on the AFL Western Division All-Star team.

In 1969, Trumpy averaged 22.6 yards per catch, on 37 passes for 835 yards and nine touchdowns. In 1970, with the Bengals now part of the National Football League following the AFL-NFL merger, The Sporting News and AP selected him first-team AFC All-Conference. First, Anderson handed the ball off to running back Archie Griffin, who then pitched the ball to receiver John McDaniel running in the opposite direction. McDaniel then handed the ball back to Anderson, setting up his 29-yard touchdown pass to Trumpy. The Bengals went on to defeat the Dolphins 23–17, knocking them out of playoff contention.

NFL/AFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1968 CIN 14 11 37 639 17.3 80 3 1969 CIN 14 14 37 835 22.6 80 9 1970 CIN 11 10 29 480 16.6 53 2 1971 CIN 14 14 40 531 13.3 44 3 1972 CIN 12 12 44 500 11.4 38 2 1973 CIN 14 13 29 435 15.0 53 5 1974 CIN 13 13 21 330 15.7 41 2 1975 CIN 11 11 22 276 12.5 35 1 1976 CIN 13 13 21 323 15.4 48 7 1977 CIN 12 11 18 251 13.9 32 1 128 122 298 4,600 15.4 80 35

Broadcasting career While not a Hall of Fame player, Trumpy had a Hall of Fame broadcasting career. He called four Super Bowls, four Pro Bowls, six Hall-of-Fame Games in football in addition to three Ryder Cups and three Olympics. (1981-1983), and Don Criqui (1984–1988). Trumpy and Criqui also served as NBC Radio's lead NFL announcers from 1985 to 1986, calling Monday Night Football and Super Bowls XX and XXI. In 1992, Trumpy replaced Bill Walsh as NBC's lead NFL analyst, teaming with Dick Enberg until 1995 (when NBC went to a three-man booth with Paul Maguire and Phil Simms replacing him). and Charlie Jones (1997) until NBC lost the AFC broadcasting package to CBS following the 1997 season.

Trumpy hosted a weeknight sports talk show on WLW-AM in Cincinnati (1980–1989), and was Ohio Sports Broadcaster of the Year four times. He was replaced on the sports talk show by Cris Collinsworth.

On the night of November 10, 1983, while he was hosting his talk show on WLW, the first call that he received was from a despondent woman who said that she wanted to commit suicide. Trumpy spoke to the woman (and, later, her son) for more than two hours until the son gave him their address. He then spoke to the woman and her son for several more minutes after that until his station manager took him off the air. Police in Forest Park, Ohio, went to the address that the son had given and took the woman to a local hospital. Trumpy received praise for his actions from the Forest Park police and suicide prevention counselors. He later said that he had to go to therapy because of the incident.

Trumpy was an analyst for Sunday Night Football on Westwood One radio from 2000 to 2007, During the first round of the 2006-07 NFL playoffs, Trumpy and Enberg were in the broadcast booth together for the first time since the 1994 AFC Championship Game, covering the Colts–Chiefs game for Westwood One. Trumpy was named the 2014 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in NFL broadcasting.

Personal life and death Trumpy graduated from the University of Utah in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and finance. He and his wife, Pat, had two sons, Matthew Trumpy died at home in the Cincinnati suburb of Glendale, Ohio, on November 2, 2025, at age 80.