The Eagles mourn the passing of 6abc sportscaster Gary Papa, who died on Friday afternoon at the age of 54.

"On behalf of the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization, I am deeply saddened to learn of Gary's passing today," said Eagles Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie. "Gary Papa was a centerpiece of sports coverage in the Philadelphia area for many years. I will always remember him for the energy and passion he brought to his profession, especially during some of the toughest times of his battle with cancer. WPVI and the entire Philadelphia region lost an icon today. Our condolences go out to his wife, Kathleen, his two sons, and his entire family at WPVI."

Mr. Papa joined WPVI in Philadelphia in 1981 and in 1990 was named Action News Sports Director. Mr. Papa covered the Eagles for many of those years and was visible in the team's locker room as a media presence.

Mr. Papa announced in 2004 on the air that he was battling prostate cancer and his fight became a very public one. Mr. Papa was able to devote much of his time to raise significant resources to fight the deadly cancer.

Gay Papa is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and sons Tucker and Nathaniel.