Richard Dennis Lynch (April 29, 1936 – September 24, 2008) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

and the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He was a one-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

er in 1963, when he led the NFL in

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

s. He also led the league in interceptions in 1961.

Biography

Lynch was born in Oceanside, New York. He grew up in

Bound Brook, New Jersey Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located along the Raritan River. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,988, an increase of 1,586 (+15.2%) from the 2010 census coun ...

, and attended Phillipsburg Catholic High School. Lynch played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

and is in their Hall of Fame. While known as a defensive standout as a professional, in 1957 he scored the only touchdown in Notre Dame's 7–0 win over the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

that ended the

Sooners Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands illegally in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbyi ...

' 47-game winning streak. Lynch worked as a

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

for the New York Giants' radio broadcasts from 1967 to 2008. He was paired with several notable play-by-play announcers, including

Marty Glickman Martin Irving Glickman (August 14, 1917 – January 3, 2001) was an American radio announcer who was famous for his broadcasts of the New York Knicks basketball games and the football games of the New York Giants and the New York Jets. Glickman ...

Marv Albert Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; June 12, 1941) is an American former sportscaster. Honored for his work by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he was also know ...

, Jim Gordon and Bob Papa. His son, Richard Lynch (31), was killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he worked on the 84th floor of Two World Trade Center. Following his death in 2008, he was inducted as one of the

' Ring of Honor Inductees. The Ring of Honor is awarded to the franchise's greatest and most influential figures.

Death

Lynch died from leukemia on September 24, 2008, aged 72, at his home in Douglaston, Queens.Weber, Bruce
"Dick Lynch, Giants Star Who Became a Broadcaster, Dies at 72"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', September 24, 2008. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Dick Lynch, who twice led the National Football League in interceptions as a defensive back for the New York Giants and who later spent 40 years as a radio broadcaster for the team, died Wednesday at his home in the Douglaston section of Queens." Lynch was married to Rosalie Lynch for over 47 years. They had six children and eleven grandchildren.

References

External links

Story about Dick LynchDick Lynch Made the Call50 Greatest Giants Photo GalleryDick Lynch passes awayObituary
in

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

Remembering Dick Lynch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Dick 1936 births 2008 deaths American football defensive backs Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players NFL announcers New York Giants announcers New York Giants players Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Washington Redskins players Deaths from leukemia in New York (state) People from Bound Brook, New Jersey People from Oceanside, New York Sportspeople from Hempstead, New York Players of American football from Nassau County, New York Players of American football from Somerset County, New Jersey People from Douglaston–Little Neck, Queens

Biography

Death

See also

References

External links