Ahmad Rashad
A Pro Bowl wide receiver who smoothly transitioned into a defining voice of NFL broadcasting for a generation of fans.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American football player and sportscaster·Birthday: November 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Bobby Moore, he emerged as a star athlete at the University of Oregon, leading to his selection as the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL draft. His professional career, spent primarily with the Minnesota Vikings, was marked by graceful routes and reliable hands, earning him four Pro Bowl selections and a trip to Super Bowl XI. It was during his playing days that he converted to Islam and changed his name to Ahmad Rashad. His true second act began when he hung up his cleats. With a charismatic, easy-going demeanor, he became the face of NBC's NFL coverage for over two decades, most notably as the host of 'NFL Live' and the network's primary studio show. Rashad had a knack for big interviews and was a constant, friendly presence in living rooms every Sunday, helping to frame the narrative of the league during its explosive growth in the 1980s and 90s.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ahmad was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ahmad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Ahmad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected to the Pro Bowl four consecutive times (1978–1981) during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings.
- Led the NFL in receptions in 1979 with 80 catches for the Vikings.
- Served as the longtime host of NBC's 'NFL Live' pre-game and halftime shows throughout the 1990s.
- Conducted the first televised interview with Michael Jordan after his initial retirement from basketball in 1993.
Did You Know?
He changed his name from Bobby Moore to Ahmad Rashad in 1973 after converting to Islam.
He was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Buffalo Bills for O.J. Simpson in a multi-player deal.
He caught the famous 'Miracle at the Met' Hail Mary touchdown pass from Tommy Kramer in 1980.
He was married to actress Phylicia Rashād for several years in the 1980s.
“I always wanted to be a wide receiver, and I worked hard to become one.”
