NBC Chicago sports anchor Daryl Hawks was found dead Thursday morning in Atlanta.
Hotel employees discovered the 38-year-old in his room at approximately 9:30 a.m. after he missed a wake-up call. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Hawks was in Atlanta to cover Game 6 of the Bulls vs. Hawks series.
“We are all stunned right now. Daryl was a great member of our sports team, and was so excited about covering the Bulls during this playoff run,” said Frank Whittaker, NBC Chicago station manager and vice president of news.
According to his biography, Hawks worked at NBC sister stations in San Francisco/San Jose and Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to that, Daryl worked in sports departments in Jacksonville, Florida and Palm Springs, California.
A graduate of Buffalo State College, Hawks received a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. He leaves behind a wife, Sandy, and two children.