The 27-year-old television reporter from Kansas City, Missouri, who died while in New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl strived to be the best single father he could be to his toddler daughter and was deeply passionate about sports and keeping his community informed, his colleagues told NBC News.
Adan Manzano, an anchor and sports reporter for Telemundo Kansas City, was a dutiful father and rising talent who came to the U.S. from Mexico to study and fulfill his dream of sports reporting, Ely Martinez, the station’s creative services director, told NBC News in Spanish. Manzano was thrilled that he was sent to New Orleans to cover his third Super Bowl in a row.
The first time he covered the Super Bowl, “it was a dream come true” for Manzano, Martinez said, adding the young journalist had been grateful about this third reporting trip for the event and what it could mean for his career.
His death has been like “losing my little brother,” for Martinez and others in the newsroom, where Manzano was a vibrant and beloved presence, Martinez said.
Adan Manzano with colleagues from Telemundo Kansas City, who saw him as a
Stop being amused by people who riot when celebrating sports championships
