John Saunders of ESPN Passes Away at 61

One of the greatest ESPN personalities of all time, John Saunders, has unexpectedly passed away at the age of 61.

For 30 years Saunders has been with ESPN, taking on multiple roles including host of the Sports Reporters.

In addition to that he hosted other studio shows, did play-by-play programming throughout the network and hosted SportsCenter.  He covered college football, basketball and the NHL.

Furthermore, Saunders was a founding member of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and served on the board of directors.

"John was an extraordinary talent and his friendly, informative style has been a warm welcome to sports fans for decades," said John Skipper, president of ESPN and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, in a statement.

"His wide range of accomplishments across numerous sports and championship events is among the most impressive this industry has ever seen. More importantly, John was a beloved and devoted family man who cared deeply about people and causes, as evidenced by his long-standing efforts as a passionate board member for The V Foundation for Cancer Research."

"He was one of the most significant and influential members of the ESPN family, as a colleague and mentor, and he will be sorely missed," continued Skipper. "Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this extremely difficult time."

According to reports, Saunders is survived by wife Wanda and daughters Aleah and Jenna.