Andy Rooney, Football Star? 9/27/87

Andy Rooney always dreamt of being a professional football player in the NFL. In 1987, he travelled to Giants Stadium and got to fulfill his dream. Sort of.

Andy Rooney has done well over 1,000 essays for "60 Minutes." As he steps down from his regular role on the show after 40 years, there is perhaps no better way to celebrate America's favorite curmudgeon than to let Andy do the talking. That's why this week at "Overtime" we offer a selection of some of his best commentaries.

To see more of Andy Rooney's essays click here.

Even though few of us here at "60 Minutes" can remember a time when Andy wasn't on the show, he had a long reporting and writing career before "60 Minutes." Andy was a newspaper man for "Stars and Stripes" during the World War II; a writer for Arthur Godfrey's variety show and "The Garry Moore Show" in the 1950s; and then he switched to news and public affairs reporting, which included producing pieces for colleague and friend Harry Reasoner.

His very first piece was called "A Digression," but known around the office as "Silhouettes." It was seen on the premiere episode of "60 Minutes" back on September 24, 1968.

Watch "A Digression" by clicking here.

By 1978, he was the Andy we know today -- a voice of opinion, candor, and humor here at "60 Minutes."