Football News Headlines

2023

NOTE: The intent of the News Section is not to dwell on negative stories that are more suited to be found in the Police and Crime Section of your local newspaper, but to report and document stories that cover the entire realm of The World of Football. Chances are, you may not have seen some of these stories before.

News Archives   Choose Year 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Skip to

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

September

(Obituary) September 22, 2023 – Jim Vechiarella, a former assistant coach in the NFL, college and the World Football League, dies at the age of 86. Vechiarella started his professional coaching career as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets of the World Football League in 1975. He also coach at Tulane from 1978-1980 as well as six different NFL teams between 1981 and 2001. Those teams were the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers.

(Obituary) September 22, 2023 – Mark Manges, a quarterback in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 67. Manges played college football at Maryland and was selected in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. However, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played in one game for the team in 1978. In 1979, he played one game in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

(Obituary) September 21, 2023 – Hubert Ginn, a running back in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 76. Ginn played college football at Florida A&M and was selected in the ninth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in Miami from 1970-1973 and was a member of the Dolphins 1972 undefeated Super Bowl VII championship team. During the 1973 season, he was traded to the Baltimore Colts but was released by the Colts during the 1974 preseason. He resigned with the Dolphins and played two more seasons with the team in 1974 and 1975. Ginn finished his playing career with the Oakland Raiders from 1976-1979, winning a second Super Bowl with the Raiders in 1976.

(Obituary) September 12, 2023 – Mike Williams, a wide receiver in the NFL for five seasons, dies in a construction accident at the age of 36. Williams played college football at Syracuse and was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played for the Bucs from 2010-2013 and ended his brief playing career with the Buffalo Bills in 2014.

(Obituary) September 4, 2023 – Ed Meador, a defensive back in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 86. Meador played college football at Arkansas Tech and was selected in the seventh round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played his entire career with the Rams from 1959-1970 and was named the team’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1959. He still holds the Rams' record for interceptions (46), the most opponent fumbles recovered (18) and blocked the most kicks in team history (10). Meador was voted the Rams' "Defensive Back of the Year" seven times.

(Obituary) September 3, 2023 – Paul Roach, an assistant coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 95. Roach coached in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders in 1974, the Green Bay Packers from 1975-1976 and the Denver Broncos from 1977-1980. He went on to be an assistant coach in college at Wyoming from 1987-1990 and was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, twice. He was inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

August

(Obituary) August 31, 2023 – Gil Brandt, a former executive in the NFL, dies at the age of 91. Brandt started out as a part-time player scout for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1950s and was a full-time scout for the San Francisco 49ers in 1958. He joined the expansion Dallas Cowboys in 1960 and was the first person to use computers to track information on prospective players. He also was the first to use psychological tests to identify the mental and personality make-up of prospective players and succeeded in finding undrafted free agents as well as a number of top small college players. He helped create the NFL Scouting Combine to centralize the scouting evaluation process. Brandt helped shape the Cowboys into a team that had 20 consecutive winning seasons (1966-1985), appeared in five Super Bowls and won two of them. He was the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Cowboys when he was let go by new team owner Jerry Jones in 1989. He went on to work for Sirius XM Radio for over 20 years. Brandt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

(Obituary) August 23, 2023 – Steve Sidwell, who was an assistant coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 78. Sidwell coach college football for 16 years at Colorado, UNLV and SMU from 1966-1981. He then coached in the NFL for 22 years, from 1982-2002, with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and Seattle Seahawks. He is inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 2004.

(Obituary) August 23, 2023 – Ralph “Catfish” Smith, a tight end in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 84. Smith played college football at Mississippi and was selected in the eighth round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also selected in the 12th round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Eagles and played in Philadelphia from 1962-1964. He also played for the Cleveland Browns from 1965-1968 and finished his playing career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1969.

(Obituary) August 22, 2023 – Jim Romaniszyn, a linebacker in the NFL for x seasons, dies at the age of 71. Romaniszyn played college football at Division II Edinboro State in Pennsylvania and was selected in the 13th round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played for the Browns in 1973 and 1974 and finished his short playing career with the New England Patriots in 1976. 

(Obituary) August 20, 2023 – Bobby “Monk” Taylor, a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League for 14 seasons, dies at the age of 84. Taylor played for the Calgary Stampeders from 1962-1965, the Toronto Argonauts from 1966-1970, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1971 and was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos during the 1971 season, He continued to play in Edmonton through 1973 and finished his playing career back in Toronto in 1974.

(Obituary) August 19, 2023 – Carl Crennel, a former linebacker in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 74. Crennel played college football at West Virginia and was selected in the nineth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played one season with the Steelers in 1970 and then went to play in Canada. He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1971, the Montreal Alouettes from 1972-1979 but was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos during the 1979 season. He also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1980 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1981. Crennel won three Grey Cup Championships during his playing career, two with Montreal and one with Edmonton. Crennel was the younger brother of former NFL head coach, Romeo Crennel. Carl Crennel was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

(Obituary) August 19, 2023 – Maxie Baughn, a linebacker in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 85. Baughn played college football at Georgias Tech and was selected in the second round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for the Eagles from 1960-1965 and won an NFL title with the Eagles in his rookie season of 1960. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-1970 and then retired. In 1972 and 1973, Baughn was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. He came out of retirement in 1974 and played one season with the Washington Redskins as a player- coach. He went on to be an assistant coach with the Baltimore Colts and Detroit Lions between 1975 and 1982. He was the head coach at Cornell University from 1983-1988 before returning to the NFL as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens from 1990-1998. Baughan was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1965 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

(Obituary) August 17, 2023 – Gary Barnes, a wide receiver in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 83. Barnes played college football at Clemson and was selected in the third round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was also selected in the nineth round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the New York Titans. He signed with the Packers and played one season with the team in 1962, winning an NFL title with the Packers in his rookie season. He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1963, where he played one season, then the Cowboys traded him to the Chicago Bears in 1964 where he also played one season. He was the first played signed by the expansion Atlanta Falcons and finished his playing career with the team in 1966 and 1967. He scored the first touchdown ever in Falcons history in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Barnes was inducted into the Clemson University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

(Obituary) August 14, 2023 – Alex Collins, a running back in the NFL and the USFL, dies as the result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident at the age of 28. Collins played college football at Arkansas and was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He played in Seattle in 2016. He then signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 and played two seasons in Baltimore in 2017 and 2018. Collins then returned to Seattle and played two more seasons with the Seahawks in 2020 and 2021. In 2023, he played for the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.  

(Obituary) August 13, 2023 – Randy Minniear, a fullback in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 79. Minniear played college football at Purdue and was selected in the 20th round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played for the Giants from 1966-1969 and finished his short playing career with the Cleveland Bowns in 1970.

(Obituary) August 9, 2023 – Sean Dawkins, a wide receiver in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 52. Dawkins played college football at University of California - Berkley and was the 16th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He played for the Colts from 1993-1997. He also played for the New Orleans Saint in 1998, the Seattle Seahawks in 1999 and 2000 and he finished his playing career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2001.

(Obituary) August 7, 2023 – Zenon Andrusyshyn, a punter and kicker in the USFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 76. Andrusyshyn played college football at UCLA and was selected in the nineth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys but he did not make the team. He then signed with the CFL Toronto Argonauts in 1972 and played for the team through 1977. His 108-yard punt against the Edmonton Eskimos in 1977 broke the all-time CFL record for longest punt and still stands to this day. He then signed with the NFL Kansas City Chiefs in 1978 and played one season with the team. He returned to the CFL and played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1979 before returning to the Argonauts for three more seasons, from 1980-1982. He was traded to the Eskimos during the 1982 season. He also played three seasons in the USFL with the Tampa Bay Bandits from 1983-1985. Andrusyshyn finished his playing career back in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes in 1986.  

(Obituary) August 7, 2023 – Rick Stubler, who coached in high school, college, the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, dies at the age of 74. Stubler was an assistant coach in college at New Mexico State, SMU and Colorado State from 1975-1982. He then went to the CFL where he coached with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos from 1983–1995. He spent two years back in college with Oregon from 1996–1997 and returned to the CFL with Edmonton and the BC Lions through 2000. In 2001 and 2002, he was an assistant coach with the Detroit Fury of the Arena Football League. He once again returned to the CFL and the Toronto Argonauts from 2003-2008. He was the head coach of the Argos in 2008. Then it was back to being an assistant CFL coach from 2010-2021 with British Columbia, Edmonton, Toronto, the Calgary Stampeders and the Montreal Alouettes. In all, Stubler coached for six different CFL teams and won five Grey Cup titles during a career that spanned 50 years, from 1971-2021.

(Obituary) August 5, 2023 – Elton Veals, a running back in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 62. Veals played college football at Tulane and was selected in the 11th round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His lone season in the NFL was with the Steelers in 1984.

July

(Obituary) June 29, 2023 - Marty Huff, a linebacker in the NFL as well as the Canadian Football League and the World Football League, dies at the age of 74. Huff played college football at Michigan and was selected in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played for the 49ers in 1972, the CFL Edmonton Eskimos in 1973 and 1974, the New York Stars of the WFL in 1974 and the WFL Charlotte Hornets in 1975.  

(Obituary) July 27, 2023 – Mike Giddings, a former coach in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 89. Giddings was an assistant coach at USC from 1961-1965 and the head coach at Utah from 1966-1967. Giddings went on to be an assistant coach with the San Fransico 49ers from 1968-1973 and the head coach of The Hawaiians in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975. He finished his coaching career in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 1976 where he was an assistant coach and the director of pro scouting.

(Obituary) July 25, 2023 - Johnny Lujack, a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 98. Lujack played college football at Notre Dame and won the 1947 Heisman Trophy. His college career was interrupted for two years while he served in the Navy during World War II. He led Notre Dame to three national championships in 1943, 1946 and 1947. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1946 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and played for the team from 1948-1951. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and was the oldest living member of the Hall of Fame at the time of his death.  

(Obituary) July 23, 2023 – Ben Wilson, a fullback in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 84. Wilson played college football at USC and was team captain of the Trojans’ 1962 national championship team. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He was also selected in the 28th round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played for the Rams from 1963-1965 and was then traded to the Green Bay Packers where he finished his playing career in 1967, winning Super Bowl II with the team.

(Obituary) July 18. 2023 – Miller Farr, a defensive back and kick returner in the NFL, the American Football League and the World Football League over 10 seasons, dies at the age of 80. Farr played college football at Wichita State and was the first overall pick in the 1965 American Football League Redshirt Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played in seven games for the Broncos in 1965 and was then signed by the San Diego Chargers, where he played in 1965 and 1966. He also played for the Houston Oilers from 1967-1969, the St. Louis Cardinals from 1970-1972 and the Detroit Lions in 1973. He finished his playing career with the Florida Blazers of the World Football League in 1974, losing to the Birmingham Americans in the World Bowl championship game. His younger brother was running back Mell Farr, who played for the Detroit Lions. Mel and Miller both played for the Lions in 1973. Miller Farr was also the uncle of Mel Farr, Jr and Mike Farr, who also played in the NFL.

(Obituary) July 17, 2023 – Gary Brandt, an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 80. Brandt played college football at the University of Washington. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1967 and played his entire career with the team from 1967-1977. He played in four Grey Cup championship games but was on the losing side each time. Brandt was inducted into the Roughrider Plaza of Honor in 2002.

(Obituary) July 16, 2023 – Bob Currie, a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 75. Currie played college football at Hawaii and signed to play with the CFL British Columbia Lions in 1972. He played for the Lions in 1972 and 1973.

(Obituary) July 15, 2023 – Darrel Aschbacher, who played guard in the NFL and in the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 89. Aschbacher played college football at Boise State and at Oregon. He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1959 and played one season with the team. His roommate while he was with the Eagles was none other than John Madden. He then signed with the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1962 and played one season in Canada.

(Obituary) July 12, 2023 – Cornelius Roberts, who played fullback in the NFL and in the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 87. Roberts played college football at USC and was selected in the 14th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. However, he chose to sign with the CFL Toronto Argonauts and played in Toronto from 1957-1958. He then signed with the NFL San Francisco 49ers, where he played from 1959-1962. He finished his playing career back in Canada with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1963.  

(Obituary) July 9, 2023 – Joe Campbell, a defensive end in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 68. Campbell played college football at Maryland and was the seventh overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He played for the Saints from 1977-1980 and was traded during the 1980 season to the Oakland Raiders. He played in Oakland from 1980-1981, winning Super Bowl XV with the team. He was then traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1981 season and finished his short playing career there.

(Obituary) July 8, 2023 – Garry Allen, who was a running back in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 63. Allen played college football at the University of Hawaii and was selected in the sixth round of the 191982 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played for the Oilers in 1982 and 1983 and was cut by the team during the 1983 season. He then signed with the Dallas Cowboys and played in Dallas through 1984. He then signed with the CFL Calgary Stampeders in 1986 and played there through 1988. He was cut once again and finished the 1988 season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

(Obituary) July 6, 2023 - Gene Gaines, a running back and defensive back in the Canadian Football League for 16 seasons, dies at the age of 85. Gaines played college football at UCLA. He signed with the Montreal Alouettes in 1961 and played one season in Montreal. He was then traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1962 and played in Ottawa from 1962-1969. He finished his playing career back in Montreal from 1970-1976. He won four Grey Cup titles, two with Ottawa in 1968 and 1969 and two in Montreal in 1970 and 1974. Gaines was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

(Obituary) July 6, 2023 – Johnie Cooks, a linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 64. Cooks played college football at Mississippi State and was the second overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. When the team moved, he continued to play for the Indianapolis Colts through 1988. He was released by the Colts during the 1988 season and signed with the New York Giants, where he played through 1990. He won Super Bowl XXV as a member of the Giants. Cooks finished his playing career with the Cleveland Browns in 1991.

(Obituary) July 4, 2023 – Fred Willis, a running back in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 75. Willis played college football at Boston College and was selected in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played for the Bengals from 1971-1972. He was traded to the Houston Oilers during the 1972 season and played in Houston through 1976. After his playing career was over, he was a founding partner in the Fuddruckers restaurant chain in 1979 as well as several other restaurants.  

(Obituary) July 3, 2023 - Vince Tobin, who coached in college, the USFL, the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 79. In college, Tobin was an assistant coach at Missouri from 1971–1976, He was also an assistant with the BC Lions of the CFL from 1977–1982. He coached in the USFL with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars from 1983–1985. Tobin also coached with five teams in the NFL. He was an assistant with the Chicago Bears from 1986–1992, Indianapolis Colts from 1994–1995 and he was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 1996–2000. He finished his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Detroit Lions in 2001 and with the Green Bay Packers in 2004.

(Obituary) July 1, 2023 – Jesse Taylor, who was a running back and kick returner in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 75. Taylor played college football at Cincinnati and was selected in the 10th round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1972 and played in 14 games that season.

June

(Obituary) June 30, 2023 – Darren Drozdov, who played briefly in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 54. Drozdov, a.k.a Puke, played college football at Maryland. He played for the Denver Broncos in 1993. He also played in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes in 1996 before going into professional wrestling in 1998. Drozdov suffered a neck injury while wrestling and became paralyzed from the waist down. He got the nickname when he vomited on the football before it could be snapped during a Monday Night Football game.

(Obituary) June 27, 2023 – Ryan Mallet, a quarterback in the NFL for five seasons, dies by drowning while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in Destin, Fl. at the age of 35. At least 11 people, including Mallet, have died over a period of two weeks due to rip currents on the Florida panhandle. Mallet played college football at Michigan and Arkansas and was selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He played in New England for one season in 2012. He then signed with the Houston Texans in 2014 and was traded during the season to the Baltimore Ravens where he played through 2017. In 2022, Mallett was hired as the head football coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas.

(Obituary) June 26, 2023 – Tom Beynon, a guard and tackle in the Canadian Football League for five seasons, dies at the age of 81. Beynon played college football at Queen’s University. He was selected by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 1965 CFL Draft, but in 1966 he was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played in Saskatchewan in 1966 and 1967 as well as for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1968-1970. In his five CFL seasons, he played in four Grey Cup games, winning three CFL titles, one in Saskatchewan and two in Ottawa.  

(Obituary) June 26, 2023 – Mike Spivey, a defensive back in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 69. Spivey played college football at Colorado and was selected in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played in Chicago from 1977-1979. He also played for the Oakland Raiders in 1980 and was traded during the season to the New Orleans Saints where he played through 1981. He finished his playing career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1982. He won a Super Bowl title for being a member of the Raiders in 1980.  

(Obituary) June 26, 2023 – Scott Pelluer, a linebacker in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 64. Pelluer played college football at Washington State and was selected in the fourth round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but was waived by the team a few months later. He then signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints and played his entire career with the Saints from 1981-1985.

(Obituary) June 24, 2023 - Dahrran Diedrick, who was a running back in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 44. Diedrick played college football at Nebraska and was selected in the third round of the 2002 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Eskimos. He signed as a free agent with the NFL Washington Redskins and played one season for the team in 2004. He also played for the Rhine Fire of NFL Europe in 2005 before signing with Edmonton, where he played in 2005 and 2006. Diedrick was traded to the Montreal Alouettes during the 2006 season. He remained with the team through 2013, winning back-to-back Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010. He was then traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during the 2013 season and finished his playing career back in Montreal in 2014. After that, he spent time as the strength and conditioning coach of the Toronto Argonauts.

(Obituary) June 23, 2023 – Terry Price, a defensive end in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 55. Price played college football at Texas A&M and was selected in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He appeared in just 2 games for the Bears. He went on to be an assistant football coach in college with the Aggies as well as at Western Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Texas Tech.  

(Obituary) June 21, 2023 – Cedric Killings, a defensive tackle in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 45. Killings played college football at Carson-Newman. He signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in 2000.He also played for the Carolina Panthers in 2001, the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2004, the Washington Redskins in 2005 and the Houston Texans in 2006 and 2007.  

(Obituary) June 20, 2023 – Brison Manor, a defensive end in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 70. Manor played college football at Arkansas and was selected in the 15th round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the New York Jets but did not make the team. He signed with the Denver Broncos and played there from 1977-1984. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1984 season, where he finished his playing career.

(Obituary) June 19, 2023 – Clark Haggans, a linebacker in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 46. Haggans played college football at Colorado State and was selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in Pittsburgh from 2000-2007 and won Super Bowl XL as a member of the team. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals from 2008-2011 and finished his playing career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012.

(Obituary) June 18, 2023 – Charlie Scales, a halfback in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 85. Scales played college football at Indiana. He signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers and played for the team in 1960 and 1961. He was then traded to the Cleveland Browns where he played from 1962-1965. He won an NFL title with the Browns in in 1964. Scales was traded to the expansion Atlanta Falcons just before the 1966 season and played for the team for one season. In 1967, he finished his playing career with the CFL Montreal Alouettes.

(Obituary) June 16, 2023 – Bob Brown, a tackle in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 81. Brown played college football at Nebraska and was selected with the second overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1964 American Football League Draft by the Denver Broncos. Brown signed with the Eagles where he played from 1964-1968. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1964. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he played from 1969-1970 and was then traded to the Oakland Raiders and finished his playing career with the Black and Silver from 1971-1973. Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

(Obituary) June 16, 2023 – Dave Viti, a defensive back and wide receiver in the Canadian Football League for eight seasons, dies at the age of 83. Viti played college football at Boston University. He signed with the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats and played his entire career with the team from 1962-1969. He won three Grey Cup titles in 1963, 1965 and 1967.  

(Obituary) June 14, 2023 – Homer Jones, a wide receiver in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 82. Jones played college football at Texas Southern and was selected in the 20th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1963 American Football League Draft by the Houston Oilers. He signed with the Giants and played for the team from 1964-1969. He finished his playing career with the Cleveland Browns in 1970. He is credited with being the first player to ever spike the ball after scoring an 89-yard touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1965. In 1970, he returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown against the New York Jets in the very first Monday Night Football game ever played.

(Obituary) June 10, 2023 – Jim Turner, a kicker in the NFL and the American Football League for 16 seasons, dies at the age of 82. Turner played college football at Utah State and was selected in the 19th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He ended up signing with the New York Jets in 1964 and played for the team from 1964-1970. He won Super Bowl III as a member of the Jets. He finished his playing career with the Denver Broncos from 1971-1979 where he played in Super Bowl XII. Turner was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988.

(Obituary) June 4, 2023 – Norma Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs and American Football League founder Lamar Hunt, dies at the age of 85. Norma and Lamar met in Dallas in 1960 when she was one of 30 female school teachers that he hired to go door-to-door selling season tickets to the Dallas Texans team during their summer vacation. They were each provided with a red convertible to drive and the one who sold the most tickets got to keep the car. Norma Hunt was the only woman to have attended every Super Bowl through this year. Lamar Hunt died in 2006 and the Chiefs are now run by their son, Clark.

May

(Obituary) May 30, 2023 – Bill McGovern, an assistant coach in college and in the NFL for 36 years, dies at the age of 60. Mc Govern played defensive back college at Holy Cross. He then went into coaching. He started out at Holy Cross in 1986 and he also spent time at UMass, Boston College and Pittsburgh before moving to the NFL in 2013. He was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Chicago Bears. He returned to the college ranks and coached at Nebraska in 2020 and was coaching at UCLA just last season. 

(Obituary) May 30, 2023 - Mike Hoban, a guard in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 71. Hoban played college football at Michigan. He signed with the Chicago Bears and played in one game during the 1974 season.  

(Obituary) May 19, 2023 – Craig Puki, a linebacker in the NFL for 3 seasons, dies at the age of 66. Puki played college football at Tennessee and was selected in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played for the 49ers in 1980 and 1981, winning Super Bowl XVI. He finished his playing career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.

(Obituary) May 18, 2023 – Jim Brown, a Hall of Fame fullback in the NFL for 9 seasons, dies at the age of 87. Brown played college football and lacrosse at Syracuse and was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1957 CFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played his entire career with the Browns from 1957-1965. He won an NFL title with the Browns in 1964. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 12,312 yards. His record stood for almost 20 years and was eventually broken by Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears in 1984. Since retiring from the game, no Browns player has worn his No. 32 and a statue of him was placed outside of FirstEnergy Stadium in 2016. After football, Brown became an actor and appeared in TV Shows and in movies. Some of his movies include The Dirty Dozen, 100 Rifles, Any Given Sunday, Draft Day, I’m Gonna Get You Sucka and Mars Attacks! He was also a civil rights advocate. Jim Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1984 and College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.    

(Obituary) May 18, 2023 – Rodrigo Barnes, a linebacker in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 73. Barnes played college football at Rice University and was selected in the seventh round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played for the Cowboys in 1973 and 1974. He was traded to the New England Patriots during the 1974 season. He also played for the Charlotte Hornets of the World Football League in 1975 as well as the Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. He finished his playing career with the Oakland Raiders in 1976. He won Super Bowl XI as a member of the Raiders. His career was cut short by injuries. Barnes was inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

(Obituary) May 17, 2023 – Eldridge “Wayne” Coleman, a defensive end and kicker in the Canadian Football League for one season, dies at the age of 79. Coleman played for the Montreal Alouettes in 1968. He is better known as a pro wrestler by the name of Superstar Billy Graham. Graham was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

(Obituary) May 10, 2023 – Ed Flanagan, a center in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 79. Flannigan played college football at Purdue and was selected in the fifth round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 1965-1974. He finished his playing career with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and 1976. Flanagan went on to be the offensive line coach for the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League in 1984. In 1985, he was the line coach for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. In 2013, he was an assistant coach with the Cedar Rapids Titans of the Indoor Football League.

(Obituary) May 8, 2023 – Joe Kapp, a quarterback in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 85. Kapp played college football at the University of California, Berkley and was selected in the 18th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. However, he signed with the CFL Calgary Stampeders and played for the team from 1959-1961. He was traded to the BC Lions during the 1961 season and remained with the Lions through 1966, winning a Grey Cup title in 1964. Kapp then signed with the NFL Minnesota Vikings where he played from 1967-1969. He led the team to an appearance in Super Bowl IV, where they last to the Kansas City Chiefs. Kapp finished his playing career with the Boston Patriots in 1970. Kapp was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He is also a member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame and BC Football Hall of Fame.

(Obituary) May 6, 2023 – Jim Copeland, a defensive back and kick returner in the Canadian Football League for nine seasons, dies at the age of 84. Copeland played college football at Utah. He played for the Montreal Alouettes in 1960 and was then traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he played from 1961–1964. He finished his playing career with the Toronto Argonauts from 1965–1968. Copeland was inducted into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

April

(Obituary) April 28, 2023 – Ben Tompkins, a game official in the NFL, dies at the age of 93. Tompkins started out officiating football in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 1971, he was moved to the NFL where he was a back judge (today called field judge) for 20 years. He worked two Super Bowls, XIV and XVIII and retired from officiating in 1991.

(Obituary) April 27, 2023 – Gerald Nesbitt, a halfback in the Canadian Football League for four seasons, dies at the age of 91. Nesbitt played college football at the University of Arkansas. He played for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1958-1961 and won a Grey Cup title with the team in 1960. Nesbitt was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 1999.

(Obituary) April 24, 2023 – Joe Novsek, a defensive end in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 83. Novsek played college football at Tulsa and was selected in the 19th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He was also selected in the 17th round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He signed with the Raiders and played one season with the team in 1961.

(Obituary) April 19, 2023 – Dave “The Intimidator” Wilcox, a linebacker in the NFL for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 80. Wilcox played college football at Oregon and Boise State. He was selected in the third round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was also selected in the sixth round of the 1964 American Football League Draft by the Houston Oilers. He signed with the 49ers and played his entire career with the team from 1964-1974. Wilcox was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

(Obituary) April 19, 2023 – Bob Berry, a quarterback in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 81. Berry played college football at Oregon and was selected in the 11th round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also selected in the 26th round of the 1964 American Football League Draft by the Denver Broncos. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings after he was involved in an off-season trade with the Eagles. He played for the Vikings from 1965-1967. He then signed with the Atlanta Falcons, where he played from 1968-1972. Berry was traded back to the Vikings where he finished his playing career from 1973-1976.

(Obituary) April 18, 2023 – Don McIlhenny, a halfback in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 88. McIlhenny played college football at SMU and was selected in the third round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played the 1956 season in Detroit and was then traded to the Green Bay Packers in a multi-player swap that brought quarterback Tobin Rote to Detroit. McIlhenny played for the Packers from 1957-1959. He was then selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 Expansion Draft. He scored the first rushing touchdown in Cowboys history during their inaugural season. He was waived by the Cowboys during the 1961 season and claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers. He finished the 1961 season in San Francisco and then retired.

(Obituary) April 17, 2023 – Chris Smith, a defensive end in the NFL for eight years, dies at the age of 31. The cause of death was not immediately released. Smith played college football at Arkansas and was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in Jacksonville from 2014-2016. He was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals where he played in 2017. He also played for the Cleveland Browns from 2018-2019, the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and the Houston Texans in 2021. He was currently playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL.

(Obituary) April 15, 2023 – Nate Dorsey, a defensive end in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 72. Dorsey played college football at Mississippi Valley State and was selected in the seventh round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he ended up signing with the New England Patriots, where he played in 1973. In 1974, he played for the Birmingham Americans of the World Football League and won the World Bowl title. He ended his playing career with the WFL’s San Antonio Wings in 1975.

(Obituary) April 14, 2023 – Mark Arneson, a linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 73. Arneson played college football at Arizona and was selected in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played his entire career with the Cardinals from 1972-1980.

(Obituary) April 10, 2023 – Frank Lasky, a tackle in the NFL and CFL, dies at the age of 81. Lasky played college football at Florida and was selected in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was also selected in the 14th round of the 1963 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Giants where he played in 1964 and 1965. He was out of football for a few years but returned to sign with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and played one season in 1969.

(Obituary) April 8, 2023 – Mickey Slaughter, a quarterback in the American Football League for four seasons, dies at the age of 81. Slaughter played college football at Louisiana Tech and was selected in the seventh round of the 1963 AFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He played for the Broncos from 1963-1966. He then became the offensive backfield coach at Louisiana Tech from 1967-1978 where he coached quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Slaughter was inducted into the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

(Obituary) April 7, 2023 – Tracy Johnson, a running back in the NFL for eight seasons, dies of cancer at the age of 56. Johnson played college football at Clemson and was selected in the 10th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played for Houston in 1989. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1990-1991, the Seattle Seahawks from 1992-1995 and he finished his playing career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996. 

(Obituary) April 2, 2023 – Frank Gilliam, a player and coach in the NFL, the Canadian Football League and in college, dies at the age of 89. Gilliam played college football at Iowa. He then signed with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he played end for three seasons from 1957-1959. He finished his playing career with the British Columbia Lions in 1960. Gilliam then went into coaching. He was an assistant coach at Iowa from 1966-1970 and then went on to be a player scout for the Minnesota Vikings for 36 years. 

March

(Obituary) March 31, 2023 – John Brockington, a running back in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 74. Brockington played college football at Ohio State and was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He played for the Packers from 1971-1977 and was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 1971. The Packers cut him during the 1977 season and he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs where he finished his playing career.

(Obituary) March 28, 2023 – Bill Leavy, a former NFL official for 20 seasons, dies at the age of 76. Leavy officiated NFL games from 1995-2014 working 15 playoff games and two Super Bowls. When he wasn’t officiating NFL games, he was a police officer and firefighter in San Jose, California for 27 years.

(Obituary) March 28, 2023 – Mardye McDole, a wide receiver in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 63. McDole played college football at Mississippi State and was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played three seasons with the Vikings from 1981-1983. 

(Obituary) March 24, 2023 – Tim Joiner, a linebacker in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 62. Joiner played college football at LSU and was selected in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played for the Oilers from 1983-1984 and for the Denver Broncos in 1987.

(Obituary) March 24, 2023 – Mel Semenko, a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for three seasons, dies at the age of 85. Semenko played college football at Colorado and was selected in the second round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the Denver Broncos. However, he signed with the CFL British Columbia Lions and played for the team in 1961. He also played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1962 and 1963. He was traded to the Montreal Alouettes during the 1963 season and that’s where he finished his brief playing career.

(Obituary) March 23, 2023 – Ronnie “Bo” Lee, a tight end, guard and tackle in the NFL for 14 seasons, dies at the age of 66. Lee played college football at Baylor and was selected in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in Miami from 1979-1982. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons in 1983 and then returned to play for the Dolphins again from 1984-1989. He finished his playing career with the Seattle Seahawks from 1990-1992.

(Obituary) March 19, 2023 – Mike Kadish, a defensive tackle in the NFL for 10 years, dies at the age of 72. Kadish played college football at Notre Dame and was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He spent the 1972 season on the Dolphins’ taxi squad and was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1973. He played the rest of his career with the Bills from 1973-1981. 

(Obituary) March 15, 2023 – Jeff Gaylord, a defensive end in the Canadian Football League and United States Football League, dies at the age of 64. Gaylord played college football at the University of Missouri and was selected in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. However, he was cut during training camp and signed with the CFL Toronto Argonauts, playing in four games with the team in 1982. In 1983, he played for the Boston Breakers of the United States Football League. Gaylord moved with the Breakers to Louisiana and played for the New Orleans Breakers in 1984. He was traded to the USFL San Antonio Gunslingers in 1985 and that’s where he finished his playing career.

(Obituary) March 13, 2023 – Bob Breitenstein, an offensive lineman in the NFL and the American Football League, dies at the age of 79. Breitenstein played college football at Tulsa and was selected in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He signed with the Broncos and played in Denver from 1965-1967. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings during the 1967 season and played the rest of the season there. He finished his playing career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1969 and 1970. Breitenstein holds the distinction as being the first person born in Argentina to play in the NFL. He was inducted into the University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

(Obituary) March 13, 2023 – Glen Weir, a defensive end in the Canadian Football League for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 71. Weir played for the Montreal Alouettes from 1972-1981 and for the Montreal Concordes in 1982-1984. He played in five Grey Cup games, winning two CFL titles in 1974 and 1977. He was named the Defensive MVP of the 1977 Grey Cup game. Canadian singer-songwriter Donovan Woods wrote a song about him called, "My Cousin Has a Grey Cup Ring." Weir was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

(Obituary) March 11, 2023 – Bud Grant, a head coach in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 95. Grant played defensive end and tight end in college at the University of Minnesota and was the 14th overall pick in the 1950 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also selected in the fourth round of the 1950 National Basketball Association Draft by the Minnesota Lakers. He signed with the Lakers and played two seasons in 1950 and 1951, winning an NBA title in 1950. He then signed with the Eagles and played for the team in 1951 and 1952. Grant then went to Canada and played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for four seasons, from 1953-1956. After that, he became the head coach of the Blue Bombers for 10 seasons, from 1957-1966, and led the team to six Grey Cup game appearances, winning four titles in five years in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962. Today, there is a bronze statue of him outside of the Winnipeg stadium. Grant then became the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1967-1983 and again in 1985. He led the team to four Super Bowl appearances. Bud Grant was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

(Obituary) March 10, 2023 – Dick Haley, a defensive back and halfback in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 85. Haley played college football at Pittsburgh. He was selected in the ninth round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins and played two seasons in Washington from 1959-1960. He then signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 1961 but was traded during the season to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played through 1964. After his playing career was over, Haley became the Director of Player Personnel for the Steelers from 1987-1990 and for the New York Jets from 1991-2000. He was also the Jets’ general manager from 2001-2002.

(Obituary) March 9, 2023 – Otis Taylor, a wide receiver in the American Football League and the NFL, dies at the age of 80. Taylor played college football at Prairie View A&M and was selected in the 15th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also selected in the fourth Round of the 1965 American Football League Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed with the Chiefs and played his entire 11-year career in Kansas City from 1965-1975, winning Super Bowl IV.

(Obituary) March 1, 2023 – Jerry Richardson, the former owner of the Carolina Panthers, dies at the age of 86. Richardson played wide receiver in college at FCS Wofford College in South Carolina and was named an Associated Press Little All-America in 1957 and 1958. In 1983, he was named to Wofford's All-Time Football team. Richardson was selected in the 13th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He played two seasons in Baltimore in 1959 and 1960 and was named the Colts Rookie of the Year in 1959. He won an NFL title in 1959 and caught a touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas. Richardson was the majority owner of the Panthers from its inaugural season in 1995 through 2017. He was forced to sell the team on December 17, 2017 after he was accused of inappropriate racial and sexually suggestive language by a number of team employees. 

February

(Obituary) February 28 2023 – Bo Hickey, a running back in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 77. Hickey played college football at Maryland and was selected in the 14th round of the 1967 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he was cut during training camp and signed with the Denver Broncos. He played just one season in Denver in 1967. Hickey also spent time with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the Continental Football League in 1965 and three seasons with the Westchester Bulls of the Atlantic Coast Football League.

(Obituary) February 26, 2023 – Fred Miller, a defensive tackle in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 83. Miller played college football at Louisiana State University and was selected in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He was also selected in the 26th round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He signed with the Colts and played his entire career in Baltimore from 1962-1972. Miller won Super Bowl V as a member of the Colts.

(Obituary) February 23, 2023 – Bob Perryman, a running back in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 58. Perryman played college football at Michigan and was selected in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He played four seasons with the Patriots from 1987-1990 and finished his playing career with the Denver Broncos in 1991 and 1992.

(Obituary) February 19, 2023 – Jim McMillin, a defensive back in the American Football League for five seasons, dies at the age of 83. McMillin played college football at Colorado State. He signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos in 1961 and played for the Broncos for two seasons. He then signed with the Oakland Raiders in 1963. During the 1964 season, he was traded back to Denver where he finished his playing career in 1965. 

(Obituary) February 19, 2023 - Red McCombs, a former NFL and NBA owner, dies at the age of 95. McCombs bought the Minnesota Vikings for $250 million in 1998. He sold the team to Zygi Wilf before the 2005 NFL season. Prior to owning the Vikings, McCombs also was the owner the NBA San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets.

(Obituary) February 16, 2023 – Thomas “Cam” Jacobs, a linebacker in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 60. Jacobs played college football at Kentucky and was selected in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent two seasons on the Steelers’ practice squad and then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 where he played in just three games.

(Obituary) February 14, 2023 – Charlie Ferguson, a tight end and wide receiver in the NFL and the American Football League, dies at the age of 83. Ferguson played college football at Tennessee State. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 1961 and played one season in Cleveland. He also played for the Minnesota Vikings in 1962 and the Buffalo Bills from 1963-1969. He won back-to-back AFL titles with the Bills in 1964 and 1965.

(Obituary) February 14, 2023 – Greg McMackin, a longtime assistant coach in college, the NFL and the United States Football League, dies at the age of 77. McMackin began his college coaching career at Western Oregon State in 1973. He went on to coach at Idaho, San Jose State, Stanford, Oregon Tech, Utah, Navy, Miami and Texas Tech. He was the head coach at Hawaii 2008-2011. He also coach in the pros with the USFL Denver Gold in 1985, the Seattle Seahawks from 1995-1998 and the San Francisco 49ers from 2003-2005.

(Obituary) February 14, 2023 – Allen Green, a punter and place kicker in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 84. Green played college football at Mississippi where he was a lineman, helping lead the team to a college football national championship in 1960. He was selected in the eighth round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. However, the Giants traded him to the expansion Dallas Cowboys, where he played his lone NFL season in 1961. 

(Obituary) February 13, 2023 – Roger Bonk, a center in the Canadian Football League for one season, dies at the age of 78. Bonk played college football at North Dakota. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1967 and played one season north of the border.

(Obituary) February 13, 2023 – Conrad Dobler, a guard in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 72. Dobler played college football at Wyoming and was selected in the fifth round of 1972 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals from 1972-1977. He also played for the New Orleans Saints in 1978 and 1979 and the Buffalo Bills in 1980 and 1981. He was called “Pro Football’s Dirtiest Player” in a cover story in Sports Illustrated on July 25, 1977. His 1989 autobiography was titled, “They Call Me Dirty.”  

(Obituary) February 11, 2023 – Kevin Bell, a wide receiver and kick returner in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 67. Bell played college football at Lamar University and was selected in the 12th round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. However, he was traded to the New York Jets, where he played one season in 1978. Bell was inducted into the Lamar University Cardinal Hall of Honor, for track and football, in 2002.

(Obituary) February 10, 2023 – Larry Coyer, a longtime assistant coach in the NFL, College and the United States Football League, dies at the age of 79. Coyer began his coaching career at Marshall in 1969. He also spent time as a college assistant at Bowling Green, Iowa, Oklahoma State and Iowa State through 1982. He also spent three seasons coaching in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers in 1983 and 1984 and the Memphis Showboats in 1985. He won a USFL title with the Panthers in 1983. Coyer also coached for several NFL teams including the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins through 2013. Coyer finished his coaching career back in college with New Mexico State in 2014.

(Obituary) February 9, 2023 – Dimitrious Stanley, a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, dies of prostate cancer at the age of 48. Stanley played college football at Ohio State and was not selected in the NFL. He signed with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1998, where he played one season. He also played for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League in 1999 and 2000. 

(Obituary) February 6, 2023 – Moses Gray, a tackle in the American Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 85. Gray played college football at Indiana and was selected in the ninth round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was also selected in the 27th round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the New York Titans. He signed with the Titans and played for the team in 1961 and 1962. 

(Obituary) February 5, 2023 – Kaye Vaughan, a lineman in the Canadian Football League for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 91. Vaughan played college football at Tulsa and was selected in the 12th round of the 1953 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. However, he chose to sign with the CFL Ottawa Rough Riders and played for the team from 1953-1964. He won a Grey Cup title with Ottawa in 1960 and finished his playing career with the Montreal Alouettes in 1965. Vaughan was inducted into the University of Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1990. 

(Obituary) February 4, 2023 – Paul Martha, a wide receiver, running back and defensive back in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 80. Martha played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and was selected with the 10th overall pick in 1964 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also selected in the ninth round of the 1964 American Football League Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He signed with the Steelers and played for the team from 1964-1969. He finished his playing career with the Denver Broncos in 1970. Martha went on to be the president of the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League in the 1984.

(Obituary) February 4, 2023 – Marv Kellum, a linebacker in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 70. Kellum played college football at Wichita State. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent and played for the team for three seasons from 1974-1976. He won two Super Bowls with the Steelers. He finished his playing career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977.

(Obituary) February 1, 2023 – Stanley Wilson, Jr., a defensive back in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 40. Wilson played college football at Stanford and was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 2005-2007. His playing career was cut short by an Achilles tendon injury.  

(Obituary) February 1, 2023 – Don Bramlett, a defensive tackle in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 60. Bramlett played college football at Memphis. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent and played as a replacement player in three games for the team during the 1987 strike season.  

January