Chris Mortensen, an American journalist, has been delivering reports for various ESPN platforms, including Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com.
Bio/Wiki
Age-71years
Height- 1.65 m
Weight-70kg (approx.)
Born- 7 November 1951
Birthplace- Torrance, California, United States
Profession- journalist, Film Director
Spouse- Micki Mortensen
Nationality- American
Parents
Chris Mortensen was born on November 7, 1951, in Torrance, California. Information about his parents is not available.
Wife and Children
Mortensen is married to Micki Mortensen, and they have a son named Alex Mortensen, who is a coach and former professional quarterback. Mortensen is a Christian.
Education
Mortensen went to North Torrance High School in Torrance, California, and later attended El Camino College. Following that, he spent two years serving in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Career
Mortensen embarked on his journalism career after realizing he couldn’t pursue football, basketball, and baseball beyond high school. Abandoning his aspirations of becoming a teacher and coach, he recognized the competitiveness of sports journalism. He began his career at the Daily Breeze newspaper in Torrance, California, in 1969, accumulating 18 journalism awards. In 1978, he received the National Headliner Award for Investigative Reporting across all categories. In 1999, he produced a documentary titled “The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling.”
From 1983 to 1990, Mortensen worked at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he filed investigative reports and covered various sports, including the Atlanta Braves (1983–85), Atlanta Falcons (1985–86), and the NFL (1987–89). He was honored with the George Polk Award for his reporting in 1987.
He also contributed to The National (1989–90), where he was among the early writers hired by editor Frank Deford.Since his debut on ESPN in 1991, Mortensen has provided reports for the network’s Emmy Award-winning programs, including NFL GameDay, NFL Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, and the Outside the Lines series. He also served as an analyst for ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage.
Health
In April, following the 2023 NFL Draft, Mortensen decided to step away from his longstanding career, citing his ongoing battle with esophageal cancer as the primary reason. He expressed the importance of prioritizing his health and family in a social media post on Tuesday when he shared his decision.
He revealed that he had received a Stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis and would be taking a hiatus from his on-air duties at the cable network as a result.
Controversies
Deflategate Controversy
On January 21, 2015, Mortensen incorrectly reported that 11 of the 12 footballs used in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2015, between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts were 2 pounds per square inch (PSI) under NFL regulation.
The Wells Report findings later revealed that only 1 of 22 readings (with each ball tested twice with different gauges except the intercepted ball) showed to be under by 2 PSI, while the rest ranged from 1.8 to 0.2 PSI below. Despite being debunked in the Wells report, Mortensen’s original story remained posted on ESPN as late as August 13, 2015, without a retraction, clarification, or apology.
On August 27, Mortensen claimed on the Doug & Wolf Radio Show in Arizona that Patriots’ Robert and Jonathan Kraft had called him and apologized. Jonathan Kraft rejected that claim, stating, “We don’t blame the reporters, we blame their sources… We haven’t [apologized] and we have no need to. Our issue is with the people who were leaking misinformation.”
Domino’s Controversy
On December 30, 2015, Mortensen and Adam Schefter were discovered promoting Dominos on Twitter without disclosing that they had been compensated for doing so. Mortensen’s tweet read, “There’s nothing better on NYE than some football and @Dominos #HomeOnNYE,” and Schefter’s tweet on the same day said, “NYE means college football and @Dominos pizza.” These tweets violated not only fundamental journalistic ethics but also FTC regulations by failing to disclose their commercial arrangement with Dominos.
Net Worth 2023
Chris Mortensen boasts an estimated net worth of around $6 million, a testament to his financial achievements that parallel his illustrious career.
Latest News About Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen’s Three-Decade Departure from ESPN
Longtime NFL reporter Chris Mortensen, a highly respected figure in the industry, has officially retired. Mortensen, aged 71, made this decision following the 2023 NFL Draft to prioritize his “health, family, and faith.”
Although Mortensen emphasized that it wasn’t a traditional retirement and he would still be involved in discussions about football, his departure marks a significant moment in the world of sports journalism.
Mortensen’s influence on football media cannot be overstated. After joining ESPN in 1991, he rapidly rose to become one of the foremost voices in NFL journalism. He frequently appeared on the network’s most popular programs and consistently broke major news stories.
One of his most notable scoops occurred in 2016 when Mortensen reported that Peyton Manning would retire. This revelation came just two months after Mortensen disclosed his own battle with throat cancer, during which he temporarily stepped away from ESPN to undergo treatment.
Upon returning to ESPN, Mortensen’s role was adjusted in 2019 to allow him to focus more on breaking news, as reported by the Sports Business Journal. Prior to joining ESPN, Mortensen had a writing career with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The National.
