Edwin Pope | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1928-04-11)April 11, 1928 |
| Died | January 19, 2017(2017-01-19) (aged 88) Okeechobee,Florida, U.S. |
| Education | University of Georgia |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Spouse | Eileen Pope |
| Children | David Pope |
John Edwin Pope[1] (April 11, 1928 – January 19, 2017)[2] was an American journalist known for his sportswriting at theMiami Herald, where his work appeared from 1956 until his death in 2017. He coveredSuper Bowl I throughSuper Bowl XLVII.[3] Some referred to him as "the best writer of sports in America."[1]
Pope's journalistic career began at the early age of eleven, when he began covering small events for his hometownAthens Banner-Herald. By the time he was fifteen he had been promoted to the sports editor of the paper, thus making him the youngest person in the country to hold that position.[citation needed] His college years were spent at the University of Georgia, and after graduating he worked briefly with theUnited Press International,Atlanta Journal andAtlanta Constitution.[4]
Pope's success with his 1954 bookFootball's Greatest Coaches allowed him to leave theAtlanta area and move down toMiami,[5] where he accepted a lucrative position at theMiami Herald in 1956. Brought on as a columnist and assistant editor, he was made Sports Editor within the year when the previous Editor chose to retire.[1] In his 50-plus years he covered the growth of Miami as a sports city, from a tourist destination with no professional teams, to aWorld City with franchises in all four major sports, and major events ingolf,tennis, andauto racing.
While he retired as theHerald sports editor in 2003, he contributed columns to the newspaper until 2016, when he wrote his last piece eulogizing boxer and former Miami residentMuhammad Ali.[6]
From 2012 Pope lived inOkeechobee, Florida.
| International | |
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| National | |
