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{{Short description|American football executive (1926–1996)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Pete Rozelle
| image = Pete Rozelle 1975.jpeg
| alt = 
| caption = Rozelle in 1975
| office = 4th [[Commissioner of the NFL]]
| term_start = January 26, 1960
| term_end = November 5, 1989
| predecessor = [[Austin Gunsel]] (interim)
| successor = [[Paul Tagliabue]]
| birth_name = Alvin Ray Rozelle
| birth_date = {{birth date |1926|3|1}}
| birth_place = [[South Gate, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|12|6|1926|3|1}}
| death_place = [[Rancho Santa Fe, California]], U.S.
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Jane Coupe|1949|1972}}|{{marriage|[[Carrie Rozelle|Carrie Cooke]]|1973}}}}
| children = 1
| alma_mater = [[Compton College]]
| awards = [[Sportsman of the Year]] (1963)
| module2 =  {{Infobox NFL biography|embed=yes
| HOF  = Pete-Rozelle
}} 
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance = United States 
| branch = [[United States Navy]]
| battles = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Ocean Theater]]
{{tree list/end}}
| serviceyears = 1944-1945
}}}}

'''Alvin Ray''' "'''Pete'''" '''Rozelle''' ({{IPAc-en|r|oʊ-|ˈ|z|ɛ|l}}; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American professional [[American football|football]] executive. Rozelle served as the [[National Football League Commissioner|commissioner]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement in November 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pete Rozelle Award {{!}} PFWA |url=https://www.profootballwriters.org/off-field-awards/pfwa-pete-rozelle-award/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |language=en-US}}</ref> He became the youngest commissioner in NFL history at the age of just 33. He is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world.<ref name=tusnews>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1DsdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SKYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2312%2C1301044 |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |location=Alabama |agency=Associated Press |title=Rozelle praised as the greatest |date=December 8, 1996|page=10}}</ref><ref name=rlstleg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5xoOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jX0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4256%2C1151104 |newspaper=Sunday Courier |location=Prescott, Arizona |agency=Associated Press |last=Bock |first=Hal |title=Rozelle leaves storied legacy |date=December 8, 1996 |page=4B}}</ref>

During his tenure, Rozelle saw the NFL grow from 12 teams to 28, oversaw the creation of large television-rights deals and the creation of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' in 1970, oversaw the 1970 [[AFL–NFL merger]] and the creation of the [[Super Bowl]], and helped the NFL move from a twelve-game schedule to a sixteen-game schedule. By the time of his retirement, many people considered him the most powerful commissioner in sports.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rozelle "Most Powerful" Sports Figure of Century |url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/arena-rozelle-most-powerful-sports-figure-of-century-1.263463 |website=newsday.com |access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1985.

==Early life==
Born in [[South Gate, California]], Rozelle grew up in neighboring [[Lynwood, California|Lynwood]] during the [[Great Depression]]. He graduated from [[Compton High School]] in 1944, with [[Duke Snider]], lettering in [[tennis]] and [[High school basketball|basketball]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Pete Rozelle Biography and Interview |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=  https://achievement.org/achiever/pete-rozelle/#interview/}}</ref> He was drafted into the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] in 1944 and served 18 months in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific]] on an oil tanker.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Bob |title=Rozelle made NFL what it is today |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Rozelle_Pete.html |website=ESPN|access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref>

Rozelle entered [[El Camino College Compton Center|Compton Community College]] in 1946.<ref name="MacCambridge2008">{{cite book|author=Michael MacCambridge|title=America's Game|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MMU7-rg06n8C&pg=PA141|date=November 26, 2008|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-48143-6|pages=141–}}</ref> While there he worked as the student athletic news director and also worked part-time for the [[History of the Los Angeles Rams|Los Angeles Rams]] as a [[public relations]] assistant. [[Pete Newell]], head coach for the [[University of San Francisco]] [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|Dons basketball team]], came to Compton in 1948 for a recruiting visit. Impressed by Rozelle, Newell helped arrange for him to get a full scholarship to work in a similar capacity at USF.<ref name="MacCambridge2008" />

Rozelle enrolled at USF that year and worked as a student publicist for the [[San Francisco Dons|USF Dons]] athletic department. In addition to promoting the school's football team he was able to draw national attention to the Dons' 1949 [[National Invitation Tournament]] (NIT) championship [[San Francisco Dons men's basketball|basketball team]]. After graduating from USF in 1950 he was hired by the school as the full-time athletic news director.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://foghorn.usfca.edu/2012/02/pete-rozelle-from-usf-student-publicist-to-father-of-the-super-bowl-and-beyond/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 17, 2013 |archive-date=October 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131017095958/http://foghorn.usfca.edu/2012/02/pete-rozelle-from-usf-student-publicist-to-father-of-the-super-bowl-and-beyond/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1952, he re-joined the Rams as a PR specialist. Leaving after three years, he held a series of public relations jobs in [[southern California]], including marketing the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Olympics]] in [[Melbourne]], Australia for a Los Angeles-based company. In [[1957 Los Angeles Rams season|1957]], he returned to the Rams, a disorganized, unprofitable team, lost in the growing L.A. market, as their [[General manager (American football)|general manager]]. In spite of continued struggles on the field, including a league-worst 2–10 record in [[1959 Los Angeles Rams season|1959]], he turned them into a business success in just three years.<ref name="MacCambridge2008" />

==NFL commissioner==
{{See also|History of the NFL Commissioner#Pete Rozelle (1960–1989)}}

===1960s===
After [[Bert Bell]]'s death in October {{nfly|1959}}, the 33-year-old Rozelle was the surprise choice for his replacement as NFL commissioner. According to [[Howard Cosell]] in his 1985 book ''[[I Never Played the Game]]'', the owners took 23 ballots before settling on Rozelle as NFL Commissioner at a January 26, 1960, meeting.<ref name=rrz33>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9QAkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HRAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7190%2C2739358 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Rams' Rozelle, 33, elected NFL boss |date=January 27, 1960 |page=2, part 2}}</ref><ref name=ppgczr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T9JaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=m2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6928%2C3646722 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Rams' Pete Rozelle, 33, elected NFL czar |date=January 27, 1960 |page=16}}</ref>

When he took office following the {{nfly|1959}} season, there were twelve teams in the NFL playing a twelve-game schedule to frequently half-empty stadiums, and only a few teams had television contracts. The&nbsp;NFL in {{nfly|1960}} was following a business model that had evolved from the 1930s. One&nbsp;of Rozelle's early accomplishments was helping the league adopt profit-sharing of gate and television revenues.<ref>{{cite web |title=What if the NFL didn't employ revenue sharing? |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2781759 |website=ESPN |date = February 2007|access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> The revenue-sharing was a major factor in stabilizing the NFL and guaranteeing the success of its small-market teams. Another important contribution was Rozelle's success in negotiating large television contracts to broadcast every NFL game played each&nbsp;season. In&nbsp;doing&nbsp;so, he&nbsp;deftly played one television network against the&nbsp;other. In&nbsp;early&nbsp;1962, Rozelle&nbsp;was re-elected to a five-year contract to remain as commissioner, with a salary continuing at&nbsp;$50,000 per&nbsp;year.<ref name=attnhi>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xfpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6703%2C1271420 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=NFL attendance at new high |date=January 9, 1962 |page=2B}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/photo-gallery/Happy-Birthday-George-Halas/042c2e9c-a874-487b-abf5-624b5c732dd3 |title= Happy Birthday George Halas|work=[[Chicago Bears]]|date=January 31, 2014|access-date=February 2, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140219232303/http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/photo-gallery/Happy-Birthday-George-Halas/042c2e9c-a874-487b-abf5-624b5c732dd3|archive-date=February 19, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Less than five months later, he was granted a $10,000 bonus (for {{nfly|1961}}) and his annual salary was increased by $10,000 to $60,000.<ref name=mgcvbo>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GKUtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B54FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4086%2C4555813 |work=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Rozelle receives $10,000 for work in NFL's court victory |date=May 24, 1962 |page=31}}</ref><ref name=paybu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HhtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6731%2C4693893 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=NFL votes pay boost for Rozelle |date=May 24, 1962 |page=2D}}</ref>

====John F. Kennedy assassination====
{{See also|1963 NFL season#Effects of the JFK assassination}}
After the [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy]] on November 22, 1963, Rozelle wrestled with the decision of whether to cancel that Sunday's games. Rozelle and White House press secretary [[Pierre Salinger]] had been classmates at the University of San Francisco, so Rozelle consulted with him. Salinger urged Rozelle to play the games, so he agreed for the schedule to proceed. Rozelle felt that way, saying: "It has been traditional in sports for athletes to perform in times of great personal tragedy. Football was Mr. Kennedy's game. He thrived on competition."<ref>{{cite news|last=Brady|first=Dave|title=It's Tradition To Carry on, Rozelle Says |newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 24, 1963|page=C2}}</ref> After their win over the [[1963 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] in [[Franklin Field|Philadelphia]], players on the [[1963 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] asked Coach [[Bill McPeak]] to send the game ball to the White House, thanking Rozelle for allowing the games to be played that weekend,<ref>{{cite news|title=Game Ball Going to White House|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Jack|last=Walsh|date=November 25, 1963|page=A16}}</ref> saying that they were "playing...for President Kennedy and in his memory."<ref>{{cite news|title=Redskins Send Game Ball to White House|date=November 25, 1963|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Chicago Tribune|page=C4}}</ref> There were players and news outlets that disagreed with the decision, and Rozelle subsequently thought it might have been wiser to cancel those games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2014/11/19/black-sunday-nfl-plays-after-jfks-assassination|title=Black Sunday: The NFL plays on after JFK'S assassination|last=Pierce|first=Charles P.| work= SI.com}}</ref> The [[1963 American Football League season|American Football League]] (AFL) and [[1963 NCAA University Division football season#November|most major colleges]] did not play games that weekend.

Citing his "aptitude for conciliation" with the league's owners, his work in expanding the NFL, and his crackdown on player gambling, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' named Rozelle their "[[Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year|Sportsman of the Year]]" for 1963.<ref name=soysiv>{{Cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/01/06/sportsman-of-the-year|title=Sportsman of the year |last= Rudeen |first= Kenneth |magazine= Sports Illustrated |date=January 6, 1964 |page=22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214124658/https://www.si.com/vault/1964/01/06/608138/sportsman-of-the-year|archive-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref>

====The AFL====
By {{nfly|1965}}, the rival [[American Football League]] obtained a new [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]-TV contract and had signed a new superstar in [[Joe Namath]]. As the leagues battled to sign top talent, bonuses and salaries grew dramatically, especially after a series of "raids" on each other's talent, both signed and unsigned. The leagues agreed to a merger in 1966. Among the conditions were a common draft and a championship game played between the two league champions first played in early 1967, the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which would eventually become known as the Super Bowl. Rozelle led negotiations with AFL and NFL executives to [[AFL–NFL merger|merge the two leagues]].<ref>{{Cite news| url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-09-sp-936-story.html|title=Football War Ended With Merger 25 Years Ago |last= Goldberg |first= Dave |date=June 9, 1991|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 14, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> In October 1966, he testified in front of [[United States Congress|Congress]] and convinced them to allow the merger.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-27-sp-29189-story.html|title=It's His Baby : Pete Rozelle Brought the Super Bowl Into the World, and It Grew Up in a Hurry |last= Oates |first=BOB|date=January 27, 1996|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 14, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Rozelle played an important role in making the [[Super Bowl]] the most watched sporting event in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/rozelle_pete.html|title=ESPN Classic – Rozelle made NFL what it is today |last= Carter| first= Bob |website= ESPN.com }}</ref>

Due to television contracts, the AFL and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season schedules, but they met in the preseason and in the championship game. Although Rozelle nominally remained the NFL commissioner, he was given broad authority over both leagues after AFL Commissioner [[Al Davis]] was forced to resign and ultimately replaced by an AFL ''President'' subordinate to the NFL Commissioner. During this time, the NFL Commissioner's office came to resemble that of the [[Commissioner of Baseball]] and Rozelle unofficially became known as the ''Football Commissioner'' although that was never an official title.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} Meanwhile, the AFL expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins in 1966, and the Cincinnati Bengals in 1967. Also during this period, the NFL added the Atlanta Falcons in 1966, and the New Orleans Saints in 1967. In 1970, the AFL was absorbed into the NFL and the league reorganized with the ten AFL franchises along with the previous NFL teams Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers becoming part of the newly formed American Football Conference (AFC), with all of the remaining pre-merger NFL teams forming the National Football Conference (NFC). By 1970, the newly reconstituted NFL stood at 26 teams.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

===1970s===
In 1970, Rozelle proposed his week-night [[prime time]] television concept, ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', to [[Roone Arledge]], then the president of [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]].<ref name ="LA Times Obit">{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-07-mn-6663-story.html | title = Pete Rozelle, Father of Modern-Day Football, Dies| first= Helene | last = Elliott | date = December 7, 1996 | work = Los Angeles Times | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211229132017/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-07-mn-6663-story.html | archive-date = December 29, 2021 | url-status = live}}</ref> After selling his idea to ABC, ''Monday Night Football'' premiered in September 1970 with the [[Cleveland Browns]] against the [[New York Jets]]; the Browns won the game, 31–21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/1970.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130625120904/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/1970.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 25, 2013|title=Monday Night Football – MNF History: 1970|website=ESPN}}</ref> The program is still broadcast today. ''Monday Night Football'' aired on ABC for 36 seasons (1970–2005). Except for the 1998 season in which games aired at 8:20&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time, games aired at 9:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time. The first broadcast announcing team was [[Don Meredith]], [[Howard Cosell]], and [[Keith Jackson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/monday-night-football|title=Monday Night Football|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 16, 2016|archive-date=March 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307232457/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/monday-night-football|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2006, ''Monday Night Football'' was moved to ABC's sister network [[ESPN]]. The NFL expanded by two more teams in 1976, with the addition of the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] and [[Seattle Seahawks]]; this brought the league to 28 teams, which would stand as such for the rest of Rozelle's tenure as commissioner.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former NFL Head Pete Rozelle Dies of Cancer |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1996/12/7/former-nfl-head-pete-rozelle-dies/ |website=thecrimson.com . |access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref>

He enacted in 1963 and was the namesake of the [[Reserve clause|Rozelle rule]] which required a team signing a [[free agent]] to compensate that player's former ballclub with other players and/or draft selections and that he was the lone arbiter in determining the compensation package. Exercised only four times, the rule was declared a violation of [[United States antitrust law|antitrust law]]s by Judge [[Earl R. Larson]] in ''[[John Mackey (American football)|Mackey]] v. National Football League'' on December 30, 1975. The plaintiffs had successfully contended that the rule deterred teams from signing free agents out of fear of not knowing the compensation that would have to be surrendered.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/31/archives/rozelle-rule-found-in-antitrust-violation-rozelle-rule-judged-in.html Wallace, William N. "Rozelle Rule Found In Antitrust Violation," ''The New York Times'', Wednesday, December 31, 1975.] Retrieved December 11, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/407/1000/2281018/ ''Mackey v. National Football League, 407 F. Supp. 1000 (D. Minn. 1975)'' &ndash; Justia.com.] Retrieved December 11, 2023.</ref>

===1980s===
[[File:Pete Rozelle and George Halas.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Rozelle (left) with [[George Halas]] in the early 1980s]]
In the 1980s, [[Al Davis]], owner of the [[Oakland Raiders]] franchise, sued the NFL in order to relocate the team to Los Angeles. Rozelle represented the NFL, testifying in court to block the Raiders' move. Ultimately, the NFL lost its court case with Davis, and the Oakland franchise moved to Los Angeles in [[1982 Los Angeles Raiders season|1982]]. The tension between Rozelle and Davis, who had wanted to be NFL commissioner, was apparent throughout the case. In January 1981, just after the case was settled, the Oakland Raiders won [[Super Bowl XV]] and Rozelle as commissioner was tasked with handing the [[Vince Lombardi Trophy|Super Bowl Trophy]] to Davis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/sports/football/super-bowl-pete-rozelle-al-davis-roger-goodell-robert-kraft.html|title=Awkward Handoff of Lombardi Trophy Has Roots in Renegade Raiders|last=Belson|first=Ken|date=February 3, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 14, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/las-vegas-raiders/post/_/id/17578/potential-tom-brady-roger-goodell-super-bowl-meeting-reminiscent-of-al-davis-pete-rozelle-encounter|title=Potential Tom Brady-Roger Goodell Super Bowl meeting reminiscent of Al Davis-Pete Rozelle encounter|work=ESPN|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> The Raiders moved back to Oakland in 1995.

===Influence===
Under Rozelle the NFL thrived and became an American institution, despite two players' [[Strike action|strike]]s and two different competing leagues. He retired as commissioner on November 5, {{nfly|1989}}. By the time of his resignation, the number of teams in the league had grown to 28, and team owners presided over sizable revenues from American broadcasting networks.

Rozelle's legacy of equalization has been felt not only in the NFL,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/08/sports/rozelle-s-nfl-legacy-television-marketing-and-money.html|title=Rozelle's N.F.L. Legacy: Television, Marketing and Money|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=December 8, 1996|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 14, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> but also in the [[Australian Football League]], the major [[Australian-rules football]] competition. In 1986, The AFL Commission adopted a policy of equalization based on the method pioneered by Rozelle in the NFL. It is because of this decision that expansion clubs have been able to survive, as well as older clubs with smaller support bases.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-06-04/equalisation-changes-explained|title=The AFL's equalisation changes explained – AFL.com.au|work=afl.com.au|access-date=December 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605081440/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-06-04/equalisation-changes-explained|archive-date=June 5, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> An example of this is the 1996 [[Australian Football League|AFL]] Grand Final between [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] and the [[Sydney Swans]], two teams with small supporter bases.<ref>AFL Football Record, April 18–20, 1997</ref>

===Honors===
Rozelle was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1985 while still serving as its commissioner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/news/pete-rozelle-s-legacy/|title=Pete Rozelle's legacy {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com|language=en|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> The NFL's annual [[Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award]] was established in 1989 to recognize "longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/james-brown-named-the-2016-winner-of-prestigious-pete-rozelle-radio-tv-award/|title=JAMES BROWN NAMED THE 2016 WINNER OF PRESTIGIOUS PETE ROZELLE RADIO-TV AWARD – General – News {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com|language=en|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> and is awarded annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1990, the league instituted the Pete Rozelle Trophy to honor the [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]], first awarded in the {{nfly|1990}} season at [[Super Bowl XXV]] on January 27, 1991.<ref>{{cite news | title = Sports People: Pro Football; The Rozelle Trophy | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = October 10, 1990 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DC103DF933A25753C1A966958260 | access-date = February 25, 2007 }}</ref> A month after Rozelle's death in December 1996, the NFL honored his legacy with a decal on the back of the helmets of the teams competing in [[Super Bowl XXXI]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17494634/uni-watch-friday-flashback-breaking-nfl-logo|title=Uni Watch's Friday Flashback: Reveal the shield|work=ESPN|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref>

In 1990, Rozelle received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#sports}}</ref> He was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation in 1991.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://www.lombardifoundation.org/hall-of-fame |website=LombardiFoundation.org |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref>

For his contribution to sports in Los Angeles, Rozelle was honored by [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]] commissioners with a [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum#"Court of Honor" plaques|"Court of Honor"]] plaque at the Coliseum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lacoliseum.com/pages/memcourt.shtml|title=LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM COURT OF HONOR PLAQUES|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308110835/http://www.lacoliseum.com/pages/memcourt.shtml|archive-date=March 8, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Rozelle married Jane Coupe, an artist, in 1949. The couple had one child, Anne Marie, born in 1958. Rozelle was awarded full custody of Anne Marie after his 1972 divorce due to Coupe's alcoholism. Rozelle remarried in December 1973 to [[Carrie Rozelle|Carrie Cooke]], a former daughter-in-law of [[Jack Kent Cooke]], owner of the [[Washington Redskins]].<ref name="prgmrr">{{Cite news |date=December 7, 1973 |title=Pete Rozelle gets married |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2U01AAAAIBAJ&sjid=0GYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7411%2C3700653 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|via=Google News |page=2D |agency=wire services}}</ref>

On December 6, 1996, seven years after his retirement in 1989, Rozelle died of [[Brain tumor|brain cancer]] at the age of 70 at [[Rancho Santa Fe]], California,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wallace |first1=William M. |title=Pete Rozelle, 70, Dies; Led N.F.L. in its Years of Growth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/07/sports/pete-rozelle-70-dies-led-nfl-in-its-years-of-growth.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 7, 1996 |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> and was interred at El Camino Memorial Park in [[San Diego]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rg5cBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT238 ''Rozelle: a biography'']</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of notable brain tumor patients]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Jeff |date=2008 |title=Rozelle: Czar of the NFL |location=New York |publisher=McGraw-Hill |isbn=9780071471664 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/rozelleczarofnfl0000davi }}
*{{cite book |last=Fortunato |first=John |date=2006 |title=Commissioner: The Legacy of Pete Rozelle |location= Lanham, Md.|publisher=Taylor Trade Pub |isbn=9781589792913 }}
*{{cite book |last=Harris |first=David |date=1986 |title=The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL |location=Toronto, New York |publisher=Bantam Books |isbn=0553051679 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/leaguerisedeclin0000harr }}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Profootballhof|id=185|name=Pete Rozelle}}
* {{Find a Grave|4702|Pete Rozelle}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rozelle, Pete}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Rams executives]]
[[Category:NFL general managers]]
[[Category:NFL commissioners]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:University of San Francisco alumni]]
[[Category:San Francisco Dons football]]
[[Category:El Camino College Compton Center alumni]]
[[Category:People from Lynwood, California]]
[[Category:People from South Gate, California]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in California]]
[[Category:Compton High School alumni]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]