The following is a statement from Joe Gibbs on the passing of his friend and longtime Washington D.C. sportscaster George Michael:

"George was a very dear friend to me and my family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Pat and his family. I always appreciated George's direct and honest approach and I certainly leaned on his advice many times throughout my career. He was a tremendous influence on me and so many in sports and in the Washington community because he truly cared about the people he covered.

"His courage over these past few years really stood out to me. Every time I spoke with him I came away encouraged by his upbeat approach to fighting this illness. His relationship with the Lord came out in every discussion, as well as his love for his wife Pat and his concern for others around him, including our grandson Taylor who is battling Leukemia. He will be missed greatly."