Career
He played college football for the University of Missouri and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). A Saint Louis native, Christman led the Missouri Tigers to a 20–8 record during his three seasons as their starting quarterback. He was a two-time All-American, and led the nation in touchdown passes in 1940.
He was Missouri"s all-time leading passer until 1976, when he was surpassed by Steve Pisarkiewicz.
His jersey number, 44, is one of seven retired by the school. In 1956, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Christman played six seasons in the National Football League, from 1945 to 1950. A notoriously poor ball-handler, at one time he owned the record for most fumbles in a game (five) and most own fumbles recovered in a season (eight).
After retiring as a player, Christman worked as a television color commentator, first teaming with play-by-play announcer Joe Boland to call Cardinals games for Columbia Broadcasting System in 1958 and 1959.
In 1962 he began calling American Football League games on American Broadcasting Company with Curt Gowdy, a pairing that continued after American Federation of Labor-Congress rights shifted to National Broadcasting Company in 1965. Christman called Super Bowl I with Gowdy for National Broadcasting Company in January 1967. In 1968-1969 he returned to Columbia Broadcasting System, teaming with Ray Scott on NFL broadcasts.
Christman also called the collegiate Orange Bowl game for several years, teaming with Boland (1960), Scott (1961), and Gowdy (1962-1967).
He and Gowdy then called the Rose Bowl game in 1968. Christman"s older brother is former Major League Baseball player Mark Christman.
Christman died in 1970 in Lake Forest, Illinois from a heart attack.