Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL legend Terry Bradshaw retired from the sport in 1984. 42 years later, after surviving several personal and health-related issues, Bradshaw is still going strong and has taken new leaps in his ever-growing career, something which he reflected on recently.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Bradshaw joined NBC News to discuss his new memoir, “Looking for Terry: A Memoir,” released on October 13. When asked how the 78-year-old still has the mental and physical capacity to keep on working at his age, Bradshaw recalled a quote from the great American evangelist, Billy Graham.
“You know what? I just love life. Billy Graham said, I never forgot this quote. He said, ‘The day you retire, the next day, you start dying.’ I never forgot that. And I thought all the people in the show business seem to live a long time,” The four-time Super Bowl champion said.
“I’m a workaholic. I love to work, and I realize my time on television as a sports broadcaster is coming to an end, but I still do so many corporate speeches. My horse business is booming. I enjoy my life. I got grandkids; I got three great daughters. Yeah, life is good.”
Even before his NFL career reached its sunset, Bradshaw got his start in broadcasting by providing guest commentary during CBS’s coverage of the NFC postseason games. Upon his retirement, Bradshaw signed full-time with CBS as an in-booth color commentator, most notably paired alongside play-by-play announcer Verne Lundquist.
In 1994, he transitioned to Fox when they secured NFL rights. Since then, it has been smooth sailing for the 78-year-old’s broadcasting career. And after over three decades as an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, Bradshaw revealed that he is still in love with his job.
“I know at 78 years of age, I’m down the straightaway. And I know people are saying, ‘Time to move on.’ And I’m going, ‘From what? I got as much energy as anyone. I’m just as good at doing my job as I’ve ever been. I’m just as curious about my job as I’ve ever been’…There’s nothing about football and doing a football show I don’t like,” Bradshaw told PEOPLE this month.
In his memoir, Bradshaw also affirmed that he would like to keep appearing on TV every Sunday for Fox. “I would do most anything for that show,” He wrote.
Apart from broadcasting, as the 78-year-old stated, he is a proud owner and long-time breeder of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbred racehorses. He established “Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses” more than two decades ago and is known for breeding multiple AQHA, APHA, ApHC, and PHBA champions.
But Bradshaw’s journey after his Hall of Fame NFL career has taken many hits as well, especially to his health. While he beat early-stage bladder cancer in 2021 and a rare skin cancer in 2022, he and his wife Tammy told PEOPLE that they are still scared between recurring scans. Bradshaw also opened up about it in his memoir, alongside his struggles with clinical depression.