1994 – Edwin Pope

Born in Athens, Georgia, on April 11, 1928, sportswriting legend Edwin Pope is one of a handful of sportswriters who have covered every Super Bowl. Pope began his reporting career at the incredibly young age of eleven, when he was given a job covering small sporting events by the Athens Banner-Herald. At age 15, he was promoted to Sports Editor of the paper, making him the youngest sports editor in the country. Pope then attended the University of Georgia. After graduating he had short stints with United Press, the Atlanta Constitution, and the Atlanta Journal, before moving to Florida to work for the Miami Herald where he was made sports editor by the time he was 30. Pope remained with the Herald for the rest of his career, and even after retiring continues to write 50-100 columns for the paper each year. During his outstanding career with the Herald Pope has been honored with many awards, including the Red Smith Award, the Knight-Ridder Award, and four Eclipse Awards. He was also named Florida Sportswriter of the Year nine times. Pope was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame on May 2, 1994, in recognition of his outstanding achievements.