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Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old sports anchor and reporter who was covering the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans for KGKC, the Kansas City local Telemundo affiliate, and Tico Sports, a Spanish language sports network, died on Wednesday (February 5) while on assignment, station general manager Steve Downing announced in a news release shared on Thursday (February 6).
"We are saddened to share that Adan Manzano passed away yesterday in New Orleans, while on assignment to cover the Super Bowl for both Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports," Downing said. "We are cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate this tragic event. As KGKC's Sports Anchor & Reporter, Adan was a true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work. We will deeply miss Adan and his passion for sports, and the contributions he made to the local community. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
No cause of death was revealed as of Friday (February 7) morning. Manzano joined KGKC in April 2021, according to his LinkedIn page, and moved from his native Mexico City to Kansas in 2018, according to a KSNT story published last year.
“I used to dream about this but I never expected that it was going to come that soon,” Manzano told KSNT while covering last year's Super Bowl as a sideline reporter. “It’s just a blessing.”
Manzano's final X post showed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressing a massive scrum of reporters during Super Bowl LIX's Opening Night with the caption, "Mahomes versus el Mundo," which translates to "Mahomes versus the World" in English.
Manzano's death came months after his wife, Ashleigh Boyd, was killed in a car crash. Another driver crossed the center line and struck the vehicle carrying Boyd and the couple's 1-year-old daughter, who survived the accident, KSNT reported at the time.