Award-winning sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who wrote "Semi-Tough" and authored best-selling books about football and golf, died Thursday night, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. He was 89.
Texas Christian University Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati confirmed Jenkins’ death late Thursday, the newspaper reported. Jenkins is a graduate of TCU.
Jenkins, whose wit, reporting and analysis spanned more than six decades, authored 23 books, incluiding best-selling novels like "Semi-Tough" in 1972 and "Dead Solid Perfect" in 1974. His last novel, "Stick a Fork in Me," was published in 2017.
His last work was 2018's nonfiction book, "Sports Makes You Type Faster."
Jenkins also wrote for the Fort Worth Press, the Dallas Times Herald, Sports Illustrated and Playboy.
Jenkins graduated from Paschal High School in Fort Worth and TCU, where he played on the university's golf team, the Star-Telegram reported. In March 2017, TCU named the press box at Amon G. Carter Stadium after him, the newspaper reported.
Jenkins was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012. Jenkins also won the Red Smith Award, the PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Journalism from the PGA of America, Sports Illustrated reported.
Friends said Jenkins' condition over the last three days had taken a turn for the worse, the Star-Telegram reported.
Jenkins is survived by his wife, June; his sons, Danny and Marty; and daughter Sally, who is an award-winning sports columnist for The Washington Post.
