Adan Manzano, a sports journalist reporting on the Chiefs, died on Wednesday while covering Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans for Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports, according to a statement from KGKC general manager Steve Downing on Thursday. The cause of his death has not yet been revealed.
Downing said that the network is "cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate this tragic event." As tributes poured in for Manzano, a Mexico native who lived in Topeka, Kansas, many started sharing his tragic final Facebook post. In one of his final posts, Manzano posted a family picture of himself, his late wife Ashleigh LeeAnn Boyd, and their young daughter.
Sudden Death While on Duty
"As KGKC's Sports Anchor & Reporter, Adan was a true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work," Downing wrote in his statement announcing Manzano's death.
He continued, "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."
According to KMBC, the ABC affiliate in Kansas City, Manzano was 27 years old.
As mentioned on his LinkedIn profile, he had been employed at KGKC since April 2021. After relocating from Mexico City to Topeka, Kansas, in 2018, he went on to graduate from Kansas State, according to a KSNT story in 2024.
"I used to dream about this but I never expected that it was going to come that soon," Manzano told the outlet before Super Bowl 2024, when he worked as a sideline reporter.
"It's just a blessing."
In one of his final posts on X, Manzano shared a photo of Mahomes surrounded by a crowd of reporters during Super Bowl opening night, captioning it, "Mahomes vs el Mundo," which means "Mahomes vs. the world."
Tragic Final Public Post
On Sunday, he also shared a photo of a Super Bowl 2025 sign, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to cover the event for the third time as the Chiefs aimed for a three-peat. A few months after last year's Super Bowl, Manzano's wife, Ashleigh Boyd, lost her life in a car accident when another driver veered across the center line and collided with their vehicle, according to KSNT.
Their 1-year-old daughter, who was in the car with her mother, survived the crash.
Boyd was a teacher at Lowman Hill Elementary School in Topeka. Before Super Bowl 2024, she told KSNT that Manzano had "put in so much effort for this."
"There's been times when he's had two or three jobs to make ends meet," Boyd said at the time.
"And now knowing he gets to go out there and do what he loves and what he's good at, it's just the best feelings ever."
With Manzano's sudden death, the couple's young child is now heartbreakingly left without both parents.
Manzano also frequently covered soccer, reporting on Sporting Kansas City, as well as Big 12 basketball and the Kansas Jayhawks.
While in New Orleans this week, he had already interviewed Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and several other Chiefs players.
