Hank Goldberg Cause of Death Tragic: ESPN NFL Reporter Dead on His 82nd Birthday

By Alexandria Reeves

Hank Goldberg, a longtime ESPN NFL reporter, died on his birthday. He was 82.

Goldberg's family confirmed the heartbreaking news to ESPN (via Deadline), saying that the reporter died on Monday in Las Vegas. It was supposed to be a happy day to celebrate his 82^nd birthday, but the famed reporter, unfortunately, took his last breath.

Las Vegas Review-Journal's Todd Dewey also shared the news online, revealing Hank Goldberg's cause of death.

"Sad to report that longtime @espn horse racing analyst & NFL reporter/prognosticator Hank "The Hammer" Goldberg @hammeringhankg died today on his 82nd birthday at his home in Las Vegas after a long battle with chronic kidney disease. Rest In Peace," he wrote.

CBS Sports received the same update from Goldberg's sister, Liz, and noted that he kept working three weeks ago amid his health issues. The reporter's status reportedly declined rapidly in the past years but ultimately died after his seven-year battle with kidney disease.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the illness refers to the status in which a person's kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood anymore. Diabetes, family history of kidney failure, high blood pressure, and heart disease can cause kidneys to fail.

People Honors Hank Goldberg

Following the news, his colleagues and fans posted heartfelt messages online to celebrate his life and remember his legacy.

Joseph Zagacki said, "The first person I met in broadcasting 44 years ago was Hank Goldberg. Today the hammer passed away on his birthday. Hank was a storyteller, had a big heart and ran a good race. #legend #lifetimemories."

Hank Goldberg died today-on his birthday.

We can honor him with our best stories of what we shared with him.

I’m gonna play some races with him in mind & send the winnings to voter registration groups. Hank bet on both.
— Kenny Mayne (@Kenny_Mayne) July 4, 2022

Goldberg launched his career as an assistant to handicapper Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder in the 1970s. From there, he became the Miami Dolphins' radio color analyst and broke Dolphin's coach Don Shula's retirement.

He also hosted an afternoon-drive show on 560 WQAM in Miami and morning-drive host after Howard Stern's exit. The reporter stayed in WQAM for years before his exit in 2017 following the expiration of his contract.

Out of the work experiences he had, his career with ESPN2 was the most notable one as he became part of the network since it was launched in 1993 and stayed with it for 21 years.