(CNN)Former NFL star and longtime sportscaster Frank Gifford died Sunday of natural causes in his Connecticut home, his family said.

Gifford, who was married to talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford, was 84.

\"It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and friend, Frank Gifford,\" the Gifford family said in a statement.

\"We rejoice in the extraordinary life he was privileged to live, and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such an amazing human being. We ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time and we thank you for your prayers.\"