Last Sunday was fun for obvious reasons. NFL Football aired on CBS and FOX. The Bears were about to play again for the evening game, and the games prior were pretty entertaining. Between the afternoon and Sunday night games on NBC, from time to time, I would watch CBS’ 60 Minutes. But, unlike usual Sunday nights, I watched 60 Minutes with sadness. The program was dedicated to one of the show’s former correspondents, Ed Bradley, who died of complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia Nov. 9, according to CNN.com.

Bradley was a 25-year veteran of the 60 Minutes crew. His strong yet caring and compassionate voice was a favorite among viewers. His contributions to not only the show, but to journalism as a whole were tremendous. Bradley was superior at his craft, according to most that worked with and knew him, and his stamp on investigative reporting will not be forgotten.

Bradley was CBS’ first black White House correspondent, as well as a Vietnam War correspondent. He reopened the Emmett Till case (for which he won an Emmy), conducted the only television interview of Timothy McVeigh and won countless awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.

For those who missed the 60 Minutes episode, Bradley’s memory was observed in several segments of the show. There was a musical tribute to Bradley by Wynton Marsalis, a famous virtuoso jazz trumpeter and good friend of Bradley. Another segment was devoted to his earlier years growing up in a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia. And my favorite segment: Bradley’s alter ego, “Teddy,” which illustrated Bradley’s personality outside of work.

“Teddy” showed the human side of Bradley. He loved jazz music, flowers and having a good time like everyone else. He touched the hearts of many and made efforts to help the many people affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Everyone said he stood for integrity and fairness.

There is one thing I will especially remember about Bradley as a journalist.

I remember watching his special on the Duke lacrosse team rape case, in which he interviewed the athletes accused, one of the strippers involved and several other sources to help unravel the case. He covered the story with integrity and felt the case wasn’t handled correctly. The show opened my eyes to the case and I have a different opinion now, since more has been revealed about it.

Bradley was a special breed of journalist. His beginnings may be the reason he achieved such great accomplishments during his career. He once told an interviewer, according to a CNN.com article, “I was told, ‘you can be anything you want, kid.’ When you hear that often enough, you believe it.” This belief took him around the globe and opened doors for more aspiring black journalists to “be anything they wanted.”