Former BYU quarterback Gifford Nielsen is retiring after 25 years at KHOU-TV in Houston.Nielsen, who played for the Brigham Young University Cougars from 1975-77, became a sportscaster for KHOU-TV in Houston following a six-year career as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers.Yesterday, Nielsen, who has served as the station's sports director for many years, delivered his final sportscast, according to khou.com."It's been a glorious 25 years. This has been an incredible, incredible family here at Channel 11," Giff told the 11 News staff Monday afternoon."Giff's contributions to Houston are larger than life," said Susan McEldoon, KHOU-TV President and General Manager. "KHOU is fortunate to have had a man of Giff's character lead our sports coverage for all these years."Nielsen joined KHOU in May, 1984 and was involved in the coverage of some of the biggest sports stories in Houston since then, including the Houston Rockets' two NBA championships and the Houston Astros' World Series appearance.Before enrolling at BYU, Nielsen was a three-sport star at Provo High. He played both football and basketball at BYU.As a senior in 1977, Nielsen, then-nicknamed "The Mormon Rifle," was one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Houston Oilers.In 1994, Nielsen was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2003, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes student-athletes on their 25th anniversary of graduating from college.During his years in Houston, Nielsen made major contributions to the community, helping raise money for charities and organizations. He and his wife, Wendy, have six married children and nine grandchildren.KHOU is celebrating Nielsen's career with a collection of highlights that will aired during the evening newscast last night. KHOU's Web site is launching a special page, "Farewell to Giff Nielsen" (www.khou.com/giff), which will feature a photo gallery, an interactive timeline, community and career accomplishments as well as a section for viewers and fans to leave comments.
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