Broadcast journalist, ESPN personality Stuart Scott dies at 49

Stuart Scott, who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and worked as a broadcast journalist in Raleigh before being hired at ESPN, has died at 49 from cancer, the sports network confirmed Saturday.

Scott worked for WRAL-TV in Raleigh after he graduated from North Carolina. Then in 1993, Scott joined the national ESPN cable network, and developed a large fan base for his unique on-camera style and catch phrases including "booyah" and "cooler than the other side of the pillow."

Scott had multiple battles with cancer, according to an ESPN profile that aired Saturday. His cancer first was discovered in 2007 and returned in 2011 and 2013.

He won the Jimmy V Perseverance Award - named for N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano who famously inspired a nation amid his own battle with cancer - at the 2014 ESPY Awards.

You can read more about Scott's life and career here.

This story was originally published January 4, 2015 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Broadcast journalist, ESPN personality Stuart Scott dies at 49."