Blackie Sherrod, president of the FWAA in 1963.

Blackie Sherrod, president of the Football Writers Association of America in 1963 and winner of its Bert McGrane Award in 1985, died of natural causes Thursday afternoon at his home in Dallas. He was 96.

Sherrod, who was voted Texas Sportswriter of the Year a record 16 times and was honored with the prestigious Red Smith Award, was remembered by one of his former newspapers, The Dallas Morning News, as the greatest Texas sportswriter of his generation or any other.

Click here to read The Morning News’ obituary.