Michele Tafoya of NBC Sports looking on.Michele Tafoya (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Former NBC “Sunday Night Football” NFL reporter Michele Tafoya paid tribute to Roman Gabriel following the news of the legendary quarterback’s passing.

On Saturday, former Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Roman Gabriel passed away at the age of 84. Taking to X/Twitter, Michele Tafoya posted a heartwarming tribute to the 1969 league MVP:

Gabriel was the first overall pick in the 1962 AFL Draft (by the Oakland Raiders) as well as the No. 2 pick in that same year’s NFL Draft (by the Los Angeles Rams), behind Ernie Davis. He ultimately chose the NFL over the AFL.

The NC State product led the NFL in passing touchdowns during the 1969 and 1973 seasons. He won MVP honors in 1969 after going 11-3 as the Rams’ starting quarterback, throwing for 2,549 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Gabriel was named to three Pro Bowls during his playing career with the Rams, which spanned from 1962 to 1972. He led Los Angeles to two postseason appearances during his playing career on the west coast.

Gabriel was also named a First-team All-Pro in 1969 and a Second-team All-Pro in the 1967 and ’68 seasons. He won Comeback Player of the Year honors with the Eagles in 1973 after throwing for 3,219 yards and 23 touchdowns, both tops in the NFL.

For his career, Gabriel had 29,444 passing yards and 201 touchdowns.

Michele Tafoya Remains Busy In Post-NFL Reporting Career

Tafoya was the NBC “Sunday Night Football” sideline reporter from 2011 to 2021, working with the commentary team of play-by-play voice Al Michaels and analyst Cris Collinsworth. NBC aired four Super Bowls during the trio’s run together (in the 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021 seasons).

Since leaving the NFL reporting world, Tafoya has kept herself busy by appearing in a variety of television and radio shows. She also hosts “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” through the Salem Podcast Network.