Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue Dies at 84
Paul Tagliabue, who served as NFL commissioner for 17 years, died Sunday from heart failure at the age of 84. He passed away in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Tagliabue had developed Parkinson's disease.
Tenure and Achievements
Tagliabue was NFL commissioner from 1989 to 2006, succeeding Pete Rozelle and preceding Roger Goodell. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of a special centennial class in 2020.
During his commissionership, Tagliabue oversaw:
- Negotiation of television contracts that increased league revenue.
- Construction of numerous new stadiums.
- A period without labor stoppages between the league and players.
- Implementation of a substance abuse policy.
- Establishment of the "Rooney Rule," which mandates interviews for minority coaching candidates and was later expanded to include front-office and league executive positions.
- An increase in minority head coaches from one in 1989 to seven by the end of his tenure in 2006.
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Tagliabue canceled NFL games scheduled for that weekend.
Concussion Policy and Remarks
Tagliabue faced criticism regarding the league's initial approach to concussions. In 1994, he described concussions as "one of those pack-journalism issues" and stated the number of concussions was "relatively small." In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for these past remarks, acknowledging that he lacked proper data at the time and that his language was "intemperate." He stated his original intention was to highlight the need for improved data and uniform definitions of concussion severity.
League Changes and Background
During Tagliabue's tenure, Los Angeles lost two NFL teams, and Cleveland lost one team, which relocated to Baltimore. An expansion franchise later replaced the Cleveland team.
Tagliabue restructured the league's negotiation process, insisting on direct involvement in labor dealings, a role previously handled by the Management Council of club executives. He established a working relationship with Gene Upshaw, then head of the NFL Players Association.
Born on November 24, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Tagliabue graduated from Georgetown University in 1962, where he was captain of the basketball team and class president. He earned a law degree from NYU Law School in 1965 and worked as a lawyer for the Defense Department before joining the law firm Covington & Burling. There, he managed the NFL account, building relationships with league officials prior to becoming commissioner.
He is survived by his wife, Chandler, and children, Drew and Emily.