His wife, Carol Penner Deford, said the broadcaster passed away in his home in Key West, Florida on Sunday.
Deford wrote for Sports Illustrated for 50 years before taking on a broadcasting role with NPR. He also wrote 18 books, including "Everybody's All-American."
Deford had announced his retirement from NPR after 37 years earlier in May.
The six-time Sports Writer of the Year was the first sports writer awarded the National Humanities Medal. In 2013, President Barack Obama honored him for "transforming how we think about sports." Deford called the award the one he is most proud of.
IN MEMORIAM: Celebrities and notable figures who have recently passed away
In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, actor Max von Sydow poses at the International Film Festival Berlinale, in Berlin.AP
Jack Welch who transformed GE into a highly profitable multinational conglomerate died at the age of 84, the company confirmed on March 2, 2020.AP
Ja'Net DuBois, who played the vivacious neighbor Willona Woods on "Good Times" and composed and sang the theme song for "The Jeffersons," has died, police said Feb. 18.Creative Content
Actor Kirk Douglas is shown at a 2017 event in Los Angeles.AP
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant smiles to the crowd during a ceremony before Bryant's last NBA basketball game, against the Utah Jazz, Wednesday, April 13, 2016.AP
Longtime PBS journalist Jim Lehrer, who anchored the network's flagship "NewsHour" for decades, died Jan. 23, 2020. He was 85.AP
This April 24, 2015 file photo shows Terry Jones at a special Tribeca Film Festival screening of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in New York.AP
Rush announced on Jan. 10, 2020, that Neil Peart, the band's drummer and lyricist, had died after a three-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer.Creative Content
Danny Aiello, whose long career included roles in "Fort Apache, the Bronx," "Moonstruck," "Once Upon a Time in America" and Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," died Dec. 12, 2019.AP
Pete Frates, a former college baseball player whose battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped inspire the ALS ice bucket challenge, died Dec. 9, 2019.Creative Content
Caroll Spinney, who gave Big Bird his warmth and Oscar the Grouch his growl for nearly 50 years on "Sesame Street," died Dec. 8, 2019.Creative Content
Juice WRLD, a rapper who launched his career on SoundCloud before rising to the top of the charts with the Sting-sampled hit "Lucid Dreams," died Dec. 8, 2019.AP
John Witherspoon, the actor-comedian who memorably played Ice Cube's father in the "Friday" films, died Oct. 29, 2019.AP
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., speaks during a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. He passed away on October 17, 2019 at age 68.AP
Diahann Carroll, the Oscar-nominated actress and singer who won critical acclaim as the first black woman to star in a non-servant role in a TV series as "Julia," died Oct. 4.AP
Actress Valerie Harper laughs during an interview in New York, in Jan. 1987AP
Television personality and professional driver Jessi Combs died Aug. 27, 2019, in Oregon trying to break a land speed record in a jet car, according to local authorities.Creative Content
Billionaire David Koch, shown here in Orlando in 2013, died at age 79, his family announced on Aug. 23, 2019.AP
Actor Peter Fonda, known for "Easy Rider," passed away on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, of respiratory failure due to lung cancer, his family said. He was 79.Creative Content
'Beloved' author Toni Morrison, shown here in 2007, has died, AP reports.none
Disney legend Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie Mouse for more than three decades, has passed away at the age of 75. Russi died in Glendale on July 26, 2019.KABC
Former WBC Welterweight Champion Pernell ''Sweet Pea'' Whitaker, shown here in 1997, died at age 55 after being hit by a car on July 14, 2019, in Virginia Beach.none
Family members announced July 7, 2019, that Broadway actor and "Annie" lyricist Martin Charnin had died.Creative Content
Actor Cameron Boyce, best known for his role as the teenage son of Cruella de Vil in the Disney Channel franchise "Descendants," died July 6, 2019. He was 20 years old.AP
Beth Chapman, a reality television star whose shows follow her work as a bail bondswoman with her husband, ''Dog the Bounty Hunter'' Duane Chapman, has died. She was 51.none
Author Judith Krantz poses in an undated file photo during an interview at her home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles.AP
Gloria Vanderbilt, a fashion icon and socialite who was also the mother of Anderson Cooper, has died at age 95.none
Pat Bowlen, the owner of the Denver Broncos who was the first NFL owner to have his team win 300 games, died at age 75 on June 13, 2019.none
Edith González is see in an undated file photo.KABC
Rapper Bushwick Bill of The Geto Boys, seen here in 1992, died June 9, 2019, at age 52. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February.none
Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, shown here in 1986, died on May 27, 2019 after a battle with dementia. He was 69.none
Ashley Massaro, a WWE star who also competed on ''Survivor,'' has died at age 39.none
Comedian Tim Conway, shown here in 1983, passed away on May 14, 2019, at age 85.none
Actress and singer Doris Day, shown here in 1963, died on May 13, 2019, at the age of 97.none
Peggy Lipton, an actress known for her roles on 'The Mod Squad'' and ''Twin Peaks,'' died May 11, 2019, at age 72.none
Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in Star Wars for decades, died April 30, 2019, in his North Texas home, according to family members.AP
Scott Walker, an experimental musician with The Walker Brothers known for hits like The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, has died at age 76.none
Dick Dale, known as "The King of the Surf Guitar," has died at age 81. His former bassist Sam Bolle said Dale passed away Saturday night, March 16, 2019.AP
Professional boxer Freeda Foreman, shown here in 2000, died March 9, 2019 at age 42. She is survived by her father, iconic boxer George Foreman.none
Christopher Alan Pallies, better known by his wrestling name King Kong Bundy, died March 4, 2019, at age 61.none
Actor Luke Perry, known for shows like 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Riverdale,' passed away just days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.none
Keith Flint, known as the lead singer of dance-electronic band The Prodigy, has been found dead at his home at age 49.none
Karl Lagerfeld, a Chanel fashion icon, has died.none
Albert Finney, a five-time Oscar nominee known for films like 1962's ''Tom Jones,'' has died at age 82.none
Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in American history, died Feb. 7, 2019, at age 92.none
Kristoff St. John, who played Neil Winters on ''The Young and the Restless,'' has died at age 52.none
Singer James Ingram seen at a benefit gala on Dec. 12, 2013 on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles.AP
Carol Channing is shown in 1967 (left) and 2007 (right). The Broadway legend passed away on Jan. 15, 2019 at age 97, her publicist said.none
Daryl Dragon, of the married musical duo Captain & Tennille, died Jan. 2, 2019 at age 76.AP
Bob Einstein, a comedy writer known for ''Curb Your Enthusiasm" and his spoof daredevil character Super Dave Osborne, has died at age 76.AP
''Mean'' Gene Okerlund, a WWE Hall of Famer who became one of the most recognizable voices in pro wrestling, died at age 76, WWE confirmed.none
Penny Marshall, a director known for films like ''Big'' and ''A League of Their Own,'' died on Dec. 17, 2018. She was 75.AP
Singer Nancy Wilson - pictured at a Grammy Foundation event in Los Angeles on July 28, 2007 - has died at age 81.AP
Actress/director Sondra Locke died Nov. 3, 2018, at age 74. The Oscar-nominated actress was best known for her films with Clint Eastwood, with whom she had a 13-year relationship.none
Luis Valbuena, a former MLB player who competed for 11 seasons, died in a car crash in Venezuela at age 33.none
Jose Castillo, a former MLB player who played from 2004 and 2008, died in a car crash in Venezuela at age 37.none
Frontman Pete Shelley of the British punk band Buzzcocks performs at Plaza Condesa in the 6th edition of the Marvin Festival, in Mexico City. Shelley died at the age of 63.none
Former President George H.W. Bush died on Nov. 30, 2018. He was 94, making him the country's longest living president.none
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of ''Spongebob Squarepants'' has died at age 57, Nickelodeon confirmed.AP
This image released by Harpo Inc. shows media mogul Oprah Winfrey, right, with her mother Vernita Lee. Lee died on Thanksgiving 2018 at age 83.AP
Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci died on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 at age 77.none
Kim Porter, a model known for her longtime relationship with Sean P. Diddy Combs, died Nov. 15 at age 47.none
Roy Clark, a country star known for headlining the TV show ''Hee Haw,'' died on Nov. 15 at age 85.none
Comic book legend Stan Lee has died at age 95.none
San Francisco Giants legend and hall of famer Willie McCovey passed away Oct. 31, the team announced. McCovey battled ongoing health issues, according to the team. He was 80.AP
Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, one of the FBI's most wanted criminals for 16 years until his 2011 arrest, died at age 89 in prison, the Department of Justice confirmed.none
FILE - Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, died Monday, Oct. 15, 2018 at age 65. Earlier this month Allen said the cancer he was treated for in 2009 had returned.none
Veteran actor Scott Wilson dies at 76 years old. Nydia Han reports during Action News at 6 a.m. on October 7, 2018.none
Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show," has died, a family spokesman said Sept. 8, 2018.Creative Content
Mac Miller, the hip-hop star whose rhymes vacillated from party raps to lyrics about depression and drug use, died Sept. 7, 2018, at the age of 26.AP
Actor Burt Reynolds has died, his agent confirmed Sept. 6, 2018. The Hollywood icon was 82 years old.AP
Paul Taylor, a towering figure in American modern dance, died Aug. 29, 2018, according to a spokesperson. He was 88.Creative Content
Neil Simon, the playwright behind such comedic hits such as "The Odd Couple" and "Plaza Suite," died Aug. 26, 2018. Simon was 91.AP
Sen. John McCain, who represented Arizona in the Senate since being elected in 1986 and was also the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, died Saturday at the age of 81.AP
Robin Leach, the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" host who shared stories of "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," has died at the age of 76, according to local media reports.Creative Content
Ed King, a guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd who helped write several of their hits including ''Sweet Home Alabama,'' has died of cancer at age 68.none
Stefan Karl Stefansson, an Icelandic actor who played Robbie Rotten in the children's TV series ''LazyTown,'' died of cancer on Aug. 21, 2018. He was 43.none
Aretha Franklin, the ''Queen of Soul,'' has died at age 76.none
Actress Charlotte Rae, who played the housemother on "The Facts of Life," died Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 at age 92.none
Nancy Sinatra Sr., the childhood sweetheart of Frank Sinatra, has died. She was 101. Her daughter, Nancy Sinatra Jr., tweeted that her mother died Friday, July 13, 2018.AP
Tab Hunter arrives at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif.AP
none
Richard Benjamin Harrison, who was known as ''The Old Man'' on the show ''Pawn Stars,'' died June 25, 2018.none
Conservative commentator and Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer has died at age 68.KABC
Koko, known as the gorilla who mastered sign language, died in her sleep at age 46, the Gorilla Foundation said in a statement on June 21.none
Wrestler Leon White, known as Vader, died on June 18, from heart complications, according to his son. In this 1995 photo he is seen filming a scene for "Boy Meets World."none
Rapper XXXTentacion, also known as Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy was shot and killed in Florida on Monday. He was just 20 years old.none
Actor Jackson Odell, known for roles on 'The Goldbergs' and 'Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer', was reported dead on June 10, 2018.Creative Content
Culinary icon Anthony Bourdain was found dead of an apparent suicide, CNN reported on June 8, 2018. He was 61.none
Jerry Maren, the last surviving munchkin from the classic 1939 film 'The Wizard of Oz' and the one who famously welcomed Dorothy to Munchkin Land, died May 24 at age 99.Creative Content
Fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead in her New York apartment in an apparent suicide on June 5, 2018.AP
NASA astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth man to walk on the moon, died May 26 in Houston, according to his family. He was 86.Creative Content
Novelist Philip Roth, best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning ''American Pastoral,'' died May 22, 2018 at age 85.none
Robert Indiana, the pop artist who is best known for his 1960s ''LOVE'' series sculptures, died May 19, 2018 at age 89.none
American author and journalist Tom Wolfe, Jr. has died at age 87. He was known for ''The Right Stuff'' and ''Bonfire of the Vanities.''none
Margot Kidder, shown here in 1978, has died at age 69. The actress was best known for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in ''Superman.''none
Actress Pamela Gidley, pictured here in 1997, died April 16, 2018 at age 52. Gidley was best known for her role in the ''Twin Peaks'' prequel, ''Fire Walk With Me.''none
Verne Troyer attends the world premiere of "BOO! A Madea Halloween" held at ArcLight Cinerama Dome on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Los Angeles.AP
DJ and producer Avicii has died at age 28, his publicist confirmed.none
Former first lady Barbara Bush passed away on April 17, 2018. She was 92.none
Carl Kasell, longtime NPR broadcaster known for ''Morning Edition'' and ''Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!'' died at age 84 on April 17, 2018.none
Actor Harry Anderson (pictured in 1990) was found dead on April 16, 2018 at age 65. He was best known for the comedy series ''Night Court.''none
Actor R. Lee Ermey died on April 15, 2018, from complications of pneumonia.none
Yvonne Staples of the family gospel group Staples Singers died at age 80.none
Winnie Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist who was married to the late South African President Nelson Mandela, has died.none
Television writer/producer Steven Bochco poses for a portrait in his Santa Monica office in this Aug. 17, 2016 file photo.AP
Linda Brown Smith, who as a young girl was at the center of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas court case, has died. She was 76.none
Toys "R" us founder Charles Lazarus poses for a photograph in 1990.none
Frank Avruch, a TV personality known for playing Bozo the Clown, died at 89 at his Boston home from heart disease.none
File: Queen Latifah, left, and her mother Rita Owens attend VH1's ''Dear Mama'' Mother's Day Special taping at St. Bartholomew's Church in New Yorknone
British physicist Stephen Hawking attends the 2010 World Science Festival opening night gala performance at Alice Tully Hall on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan)none
Rapper Craig Mack (shown above in 2004) died March 12, 2018 at age 46. The rapper was best known for his platinum 1994 hit ''Flava in Ya Ear.''none
Evangelist Billy Graham has died at age 99, ABC News confirmed.none
Diahann Carroll weds Vic Damone at Golden Nugget Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Jan. 3, 1987. ()AP
John Mahoney, known for his role as Martin Crane on “Frasier,” died on Feb. 5, 2018, at the age of 77.none
Dennis Edwards attends the 26th Annual Heroes and Legends Awards held at The Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Beverly Hills.AP
Former 'Glee' star Mark Salling, who had been awaiting sentencing on child porn charges, died in Los Angeles area, his attorney confirmed to the Associated Press.none
Naomi Parker Fraley (shown left in 1942) was believed to be the inspiration for the Rosie the Riveter campaign. She died Jan. 20, 2018 at age 96.none
Edwin Hawkins, the gospel singer best known for ''Oh Happy Day,'' died Jan. 15, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. He was 74.none
Dolores O'Riordan, the frontwoman of Irish softrock group Cranberries, died Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 at age 46. The cause of death wasn't immediately available.none
Keith Jackson arrives at 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles, Calif.AP
Photo of MOTORHEAD; 'Fast' Eddie Clarke performing on stage at the Electric CircusCreative Content
Jerry Van Dyke appears on 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' Dec. 1, 1964.none
NASA astronaut John Young flew twice to the Moon, walked on its surface and flew the agency's first Space Shuttle mission. NASA announced his death at the age of 87 on Jan. 6.none
Mystery writer Sue Grafton, known for her series in which each book title begins with a letter from the alphabet, died on December 28, 2017.AP
The Associated Press contributed to this report.