On Jan. 28, 2001, fueled by a stifling defense, an MVP performance from middle linebacker Ray Lewis and a mistake-free outing from quarterback Trent Dilfer, the Ravens walloped the New York Giants, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV to earn the franchise’s first championship.

The voice of that landmark night in Baltimore sports history was Greg Gumbel. The veteran CBS sportscaster achieved a milestone of his own that day, becoming the first Black play-by-play announcer to call a Super Bowl.

After Gumbel’s family announced on Friday evening that he had died of cancer at age 78, tributes poured in from his peers, including many who worked alongside him on that Super Bowl broadcast. They remembered Gumbel as a trailblazer, a consummate professional and a beloved colleague.

“In our business, where there’s no shortage of insufferability at times, Greg was just such a gentleman, and he was funny as hell,” said Armen Keteyian, a sideline reporter for the Super Bowl XXXV broadcast.

Keteyian added that, as an announcer, “Greg just did his job. You never had to worry for one second whether Greg was going to be prepared no matter what happened.”

Bonnie Bernstein, then a 31-year-old sideline reporter making her Super Bowl debut, remembered Gumbel as a warm, welcoming presence who made her feel like she belonged. During a quiet moment pregame, he reminded her to “just do what the players do. Lean on your preparation and approach the day like any other game.”

“It was such a touching moment that means even more as I reflect on his legacy,” Bernstein wrote in an email.

Reflecting on Gumbel’s professionalism, Keteyian said the CBS broadcast team grappled in the lead-up to the Super Bowl with how to address Lewis’ connection to the fatal stabbing of two men a year earlier. At a pregame production meeting with Lewis, Gumbel took the lead in asking tough questions about the incident, Keteyian remembered.

“They had what we felt was a very honest conversation about Ray’s regrets and whatever culpability he may or may not have had that evening,” Keteyian said. “There’s an art form to asking those questions, a) being respectful, but b) being direct, and Greg handled it flawlessly.”

Born May 3, 1946, in New Orleans, Gumbel spent over 50 years broadcasting and covering an array of major sporting events, including Super Bowls, Selection Sundays, March Madness, the Olympics and the MLB and NBA playoffs.

He was best known for his work with CBS, where he served as the network’s lead NFL announcer, hosted its NFL studio show and became a face of its college basketball coverage.

“There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television,” CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson said in a statement. “He was beloved and respected by those of us who had the honor to call him a friend and colleague. A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time.”

Along with calling the Ravens’ win in Super Bowl XXXV, Gumbel was the play-by-play voice for the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXVIII victory over the Carolina Panthers in 2004. He remains the only Black television announcer in the U.S. to have called a Super Bowl.

“Greg was a role model and a pioneer,” executive producer and executive vice president of production for CBS Sports Harold Bryant said in a statement. “He broke barriers being one of the few Black broadcasters covering sports at the highest levels. He set a high bar for others to follow. His work was beyond reproach as he became one of the most respected broadcasters in the industry.”

Colleagues said that while opening doors was important to Gumbel, he was reluctant to draw attention to his accomplishments.

“To say Greg was emphatically unaffected by his status as a living legend doesn’t do his humility justice,” wrote Bernstein, the founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions.

Phil Simms, who served as the color commentator alongside Gumbel for both of his Super Bowl calls, wrote in a post on X, “Greg Gumbel was an iconic voice—fiercely smart, warm, trustworthy. He was also my friend. Greg wasn’t just funny—he was REALLY funny. I will miss him.”

Gumbel’s career spanned long enough to call another iconic Baltimore sports moment, 12 years after Super Bowl XXXV.

On Jan. 12, 2013, Gumbel was in the play-by-play booth as the Ravens faced the Denver Broncos in a divisional playoff game. Trailing by a touchdown with less than a minute remaining, quarterback Joe Flacco unleashed a last-gasp, high-arcing heave from the Ravens’ 30-yard-line.

“Caught!” Gumbel yelled in disbelief, as the ball fell into the arms of wide receiver Jacoby Jones for a game-tying, 70-yard touchdown. The play became known as the “Mile High Miracle.”

The Ravens went on to defeat the Broncos in double overtime, then won their next two games to claim their second Super Bowl title. And Gumbel’s voice became forever linked to another Ravens championship run.