caption birth_place birth_date spouse birthname image article_title education name occupation
frank bridgeport , connecticut , september 21 , 2007 deford speaking at the bridgeport public library in baltimore , maryland 16 december 1938 carol penner deford benjamin franklin deford iii frank deford.jpg frank deford
 princeton university frank deford journalist , novelist
frank deford

frank deford -lrb- born benjamin franklin deford iii on december 16 , 1938 in baltimore , maryland -rrb- is an american sportswriter and novelist .
in addition to his 50-year tenure at `` sports illustrated '' , where he now holds the title of senior contributing writer , deford appears weekly on national public radio and as senior correspondent for `` real sports with bryant gumbel '' on hbo .
he has written 18 books , nine of them novels .
a member of the national association of sportscasters and sportswriters hall of fame , deford was six times voted sportswriter of the year by the members of that organization , and was twice voted magazine writer of the year by the `` washington journalism review '' .
in 2012 he became the first magazine recipient of the red smith award .
in 2013 he was presented with the william allen white citation for `` excellence in journalism '' by the university of kansas and became the first sports journalist ever to receive the national press foundation 's highest honor , the w.m. kiplinger award for distinguished contributions to journalism .
deford 's archives are held by the university of texas , where an annual lecture is presented in his name .
he is a long-time advocate for research and treatment of cystic fibrosis .
