Former Detroit News sports columnist Bryan Burwell dies

St. Louis — Bryan Burwell, a longtime sports columnist with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, died Thursday after a short battle with cancer. He was 59. Burwell previously was a columnist for The Detroit News.

The Post-Dispatch made the announcement on its website, stltoday.com.

"I worked with Bryan at three different newspapers," Detroit News sports editor Phil Laciura said Thursday. "He was a true professional and always upbeat. He was also a trailblazer for many African-American journalists."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor Roger Hensley said in a statement that Burwell was one of the most well-respected journalists in his field. The Associated Press Sports Editors named Burwell one of the top 10 sports columnists in the country in 2007.

Burwell joined the Post-Dispatch in 2002 after working as a correspondent for HBO's "Inside the NFL." During a long career, Burwell also wrote columns for USA Today, wrote for the Washington Star and worked in New York at the Daily News and Newsday.

In recent seasons, Burwell had begun working in sports video.

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