Frank Gifford, a gleaming hero of sports and television in an era when such things were possible, who moved seamlessly from stardom in the Giants’ offense to celebrity in the broadcast booth of “Monday Night Football,” died on Sunday at his home in Greenwich, Conn. He was 84.

His family confirmed the death in a statement.

A shifty running back and later a cagey and clutch receiver who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, Gifford began his career at a time when the professional game was overshadowed by college football and by Major League Baseball — hardly the American obsession it has become. But as much as anyone, he helped push it in that direction.

By the time he retired as a player (for the second time) in 1964, the Giants and the National Football League had gained the national sports spotlight, and the versatile and handsome Gifford had become a celebrity.

Read the article “Frank Gifford, NFL Celebrity Player and Broadcaster, Dies at 84” on nytimes.com.