Phyllis George, the former Miss America who went on to work as a sportscaster on “NFL Today” and to be the First Lady of Kentucky, has passed away at the age of 70.

Fox News reported that George’s death was confirmed by her family, who said she died at a Lexington, Kentucky after a long fight with a blood disorder. George’s children, Lincoln Tyler George Brown and CNN White House correspondent Pamela Ashley Brown, released the following statement about her death:

“For many, Mom was known by her incredible accomplishments as the pioneering female sportscaster, 50th Miss America and first lady. But this was all before we were born and never how we viewed Mom. To us, she was the most incredible mother we could ever ask for, and it is all of the defining qualities the public never saw, especially against the winds of adversity, that symbolize how extraordinary she is more than anything else. The beauty so many recognized on the outside was a mere fraction of her internal beauty, only to be outdone by an unwavering spirit that allowed her to persevere against all the odds.”

George won the Miss America pageant in 1971 before she joined Brent Musburger and Irv Cross to host “NFL Today” on CBS in 1975. She stayed with the show for three seasons before leaving it, returning again in 1980 for another run until 1983.

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“Phyllis George was special. Her smile lit up millions of homes for the NFL Today,” Musburger tweeted after her death. “Phyllis didn’t receive nearly enough credit for opening the sports broadcasting door for the dozens of talented women who took her lead and soared.”

From 1978-1999, George was married to John Y. Brown Jr., who owned Kentucky Fried Chicken and the NBA’s Boston Celtics while also serving as the governor of Kentucky.

“Phyllis was a great asset to Kentucky,” Brown said of his ex-wife. “We had a great partnership. I think we enjoyed every single day.”

George was remembered as “the ultimate trailblazer” by ESPN sportscaster Hannah Storm, who said she inspired other women to launch careers in sportscasting.

“A lot of times when you’re dreaming of something as a career option, you have to see it in order to believe it,” she said. “And someone has to be first, and that was Phyllis.”

“People were uncomfortable with the idea of seeing a woman on TV talking about sports in a prominent role,” Storm continued. “But someone has to go first. I give her so much respect for truly her courage. She had to put herself out there. Phyllis George did something out of the norm. And I’m forever grateful for her leading the way.”

On top of all her other accomplishments, George wrote several books and acted in two Hollywood comedy films.

“Phyllis is a pioneer. Her range is what impresses me the most,” former Kentucky and Louisville coach Rick Pitino, now at Iona, wrote in the foreward to her memoir, “Never Say Never: Ten lessons to turn you can’t into YES I CAN.”

“She entered a highly competitive pageant and emerged as Miss America,” Pitino continued. “She became the first national female sports broadcaster. She flourished in the limelight as First Lady in the state of Kentucky. She’s been successful in business. And she is a respected humanitarian. Each step along the way, she embraced the mission at hand.”

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