Football News / Obituaries

2024

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December

(Obituary) December 13, 2024 – Jimmy Wilkerson, a defensive end in the NFL for eight seasons, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 43. Wilkerson played college football at Oklahoma and was selected in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played for the Chiefs from 2003-2007, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2008-2009 and the New Orleans Saints in 2010. He went on to coach at the high school level and also at FCS Texas A&M–Commerce.  

(Obituary) December 12, 2024 – Jim Tunney, a referee in the NFL for 31 seasons, dies at the age of 95. Tunney began officiating games in the NFL in 1960 and retired in 1990. He officiated a record 29 postseason games, including ten championship games and three Super Bowls (6, 11 and 12). He is the only referee to work consecutive Super Bowls. He also worked the Ice Bowl game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in 1967. He also worked the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions game when Tom Dempsey kicked his famous 63-yard field goal in 1970. Tunney was the first official to be named to the "All-Madden Team" in 1990 and received the prestigious "Gold Whistle Award" in 1992 from the National Association of Sports Officials.

(Obituary) December 9, 2024 - John Riley Gunnels, a defensive end in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 87. Gunnels played college football at Georgia and was selected in the 10th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and played for the team from 1960-1964, winning and NFL title with the Eagles in 1960. He finished his playing career with the Steelers from 1965-1966.

(Obituary) December 8, 2024 – Chuck Kyle, a linebacker in the Canadian Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 77. Kyle played college football at Purdue and was selected in the fifth round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. However, he signed with the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders and played for the team in 1969 and 1970. He played in one Grey Cup game as a rookie in 1969, losing to the Ottawa Rough Riders 29-11.  

(Obituary) December 6, 2024 – Eddie Khayat, a defensive lineman in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 89. Khayat played college football at Tulane and signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. He played one season in Washington in 1957. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1958-1961 and won an NFL title with the Eagles in 1960. He returned to the Redskins in 1962 and 1963, the Eagles again in 1964 and 1965 and he finished his playing career with the Boston Patriots in 1966. Khayat went on to be an assistant coach in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints from 1967-1970 and was the head coach of the Eagles from 1971-1972. From 1973-1989, he was an assistant coach with the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Colts and New England Patriots. In 1991, he was the head coach of the New Orleans Night of the Arena Football League. He was an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992 and 1993 and finished his coaching career in the Arena Football League as head coach of the Nashville Kats in 1997-1998 and the Carolina Cobras in 2003.

(Obituary) December 2, 2024 – Willie Peete, an assistant coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 87. Peete began his coaching career at the University of Arizona from 1971-1982. He then moved to the NFL where he coached for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1983 to 1986, the Green Bay Packers from 1987 to 1991, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1992 to 1994 and the Chicago Bears from 1995 to 1997. His son, Rodney Peete was a quarterback in the NFL for 16 seasons and his son Skip Peete has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 1998.

November

(Obituary) November 29, 2024 – Dale Hamer, a referee in the NFL for x seasons, dies at the age of 87. Hamer began working NFL games in 1978. He officiated over 400 games on the field, including 20 playoff games and two Super Bowls. In 2002, he transitioned to the replay booth, working over 180 games. He was the President of the NFL Referees Association from 1996 to 1999. Hamer is a member of the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania State Sports Hall of Fame.

(Obituary) November 28, 2024 – Bill Battle, a college football head coach for seven seasons, dies at the age of 82. Battle played college football at Alabama and won a national championship with the team in 1961. Battle began coaching as a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma in 1963 and then was an assistant coach at Army in 1964 and 1965. He became the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers in 1970 at the age of 28. He coached the team from 1970-1976, leading them to five bowl games and a 55-22 record. Battle was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

(Obituary) November 25, 2024 – Ernie McMillan, a tackle in the NFL for 15 seasons, dies at the age of 86. McMillan played college football at Illinois and was selected in the 13th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was also selected in the 29th round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the Boston Patriots. McMillan signed with the Cardinals, where he played from 1961-1974. He finished his playing career with the Green Bay Packers in 1975.   

(Obituary) November 25, 2024 – Joe Zuger, a quarterback, defensive back and punter in the Canadian Football League for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 84. Zuger played college football at Arizona State and signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1962. He played his entire CFL career with the TiCats from 1962-1971. He won three Grey Cup titles with Hamilton in 1963, 1965 and 1967. He was named the CFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1967. Zuger went on to be the team's general manager from 1981 to 1992. He was inducted into the Tiger-Cats Wall of Honor in 2007 and the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

(Obituary) November 14, 2024 – John Brunner, a longtime assistant coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 87. From 1969-1979, Brunner was a college football assistant coach at Villenova, Temple and Princeton. In the NFL, he was an assistant coach with the Detroit Lions from 1980-1982, the Green Bay Packers in 1983, Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1984 and the Minnesota Vikings from 1989-1991. Brunner also spent time as a player scout for the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers.   

(Obituary) November 11, 2024 – Gerry Faust, a college football head coach for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 89. Faust was the head coach at Notre Dame from 1981-1985 and led the team to a win in the 1983 Liberty Bowl. He went on to be the head coach at Akron from 1987-1994.

(Obituary) November 11, 2024 – John Robinson, a head coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 89. Robinson started out as an assistant coach in college at Oregon from 1960-1971. He then became the head coach at USC from 1976-1982. In 1978, he led the Trojans to a 12-1 record and a College Football National Championship. He moved on to the NFL and was the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams from 1983-1991. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1983. Robinson returned to USC as the head coach from 1993-1997 and he was also the head coach at UNLV from 1999-2004. Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

(Obituary) November 7, 2024 – Tommy Hart, a linebacker and defensive end in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 80. Hart played college football at NAIA Morris Brown College and was selected in the 10th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played for the 49ers from 1968-1977. He also played for the Chicago Bears from 1978-1979 and the New Orleans Saints in 1980.

(Obituary) November 6, 2024 – Don “Bull” Bosseler, a fullback in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 88. Bosseler played college football at Miami and was the ninth overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played in Washington from 1957-1964. Bosseler was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

(Obituary) November 5, 2024 – Charlie Turner, an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 79. Turner played college football at Ohio. He signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and played for the team in 1967, 1968 and 1970. He went on to play for the Edmonton Eskimos from 1971-1978 and finished his CFL playing career in 1979 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He won three Grey Cup titles, one with Hamilton in 1967 and two with Edmonton in 1975 and 1978. In 1975, Turner was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman.

(Obituary) November 4, 2024 – Jack “Charlie” Evans, a running back in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 76. Evans played college football at Utah and at USC and was selected in the 14th round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played for the Giants from 1971-1973 and finished his brief playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1974.  

(Obituary) November 2, 2024 – William “Dub” Jones, a halfback and defensive back in the NFL and the All America Football Conference for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 99. Jones played college football at Tulane and LSU and was the second overall pick in the 1946 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals. However, he signed with the AAFC Miami Seahawks in 1946. He was traded to the AAFC Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1946 season and played for the Dodgers in 1946 and 1947. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1948 and played for the Browns from 1948-1955. He won five titles with the Browns, two in the AAFC in 1948 and 1949 and three in the NFL in 1950, 1954 and 1955. He was also an assistant coach with the Browns from 1963-1968. Jones was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Browns Legends program in 2004. He was the father of quarterback Bert Jones, who was the quarterback of the Baltimore Colts from 1973-1981 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1982. Ironically, Bert Jones was also the second overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft by the Colts.

October

(Obituary) October 31, 2024 – Mike Haffner, a wide receiver in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 82. Haffner played college football at UCLA. He signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and played three seasons with the team from 1968-1970. He finished his brief playing career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1971. After his playing career was over, he went into broadcasting.

(Obituary) October 28, 2024 – Lonnie Warwick, a linebacker in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 82. Warwick played college football at Tennessee and at Tennessee Tech. He signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 1965 and played for the team through 1972. He was a member of the famed Purple People Eaters Defense and played in Super Bowl IV, losing to Hank Stram and the Kansas City Chiefs. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons in 1973 and 1974 and finished his playing career in the World Football League with the San Antonio Wings in 1975. Warwick was inducted into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. 

(Obituary) October 26, 2024 – Jim Donovan, dies at the age of 68. Donovan, was the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns Radio Network from 1999 to 2023. He worked as the sports director and was a news anchor for WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland, Ohio. On the national level, he was a play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports' NFL coverage from 1987 to 1997. He also worked television games for the MLB Cleveland Indians as a play-by-play announcer from 2006 to 2008.

(Obituary) October 21, 2024 – John Campbell, a linebacker in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 86. Campbell played college football at Minnesota and won a college football national championship with the team in 1960. He was selected in the 11th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1963 American Football League Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed with the Vikings and was the first University of Minnesota player ever drafted and signed by the Vikings. He played for the Vikings in 1963 and 1964. He went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1965-1969. Campbell was cut by the Steelers during the 1969 season and signed with the Baltimore Colts, where he finished his playing career. 

(Obituary) October 20, 2024 – Alan Miller, a fullback in the American Football League for five seasons, dies at the age of 87. Miller played college football at Boston College and was selected in the 19th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he signed with the AFL Boston Patriots and played for the team in 1960. He went on to play for the AFL Oakland Raiders from 1961-1965, but did not play during the 1964 season.  

(Obituary) October 16, 2024 – Whit Tucker, a wide receiver in the Canadian Football league for nine seasons, dies at the age of 83. Tucker played college football at Western Ontario and was selected in the second round of the 1962 CFL Draft by the Ottawa Rough Riders. He played his entire career in Ottawa from 1962-1970 and won back-to-back Grey Cup titles 1968 and 1969. Tucker was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

(Obituary) October 8, 2024 – Pat Fischer, a cornerback in the NFL for 17 seasons, dies at the age of 84. Fischer played college football at Nebraska and was selected in the 17th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals from 1961-1967. He also played for the Washington Redskins from 1968-1977. Fischer played in 213 NFL games.

(Obituary) October 8, 2024 – Abdul Salaam, a defensive lineman in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 71. Salaam played college football at Kent State and was selected in the seventh round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played his entire career with the Jets from 1976-1983. Salaam was a member of the defensive unit known as the “New York Sack Exchange." He was born Larry Faulk and changed his name in 1977.

(Obituary) October 4, 2024 – Billy Shaw, a guard in the American Football League for nine seasons, dies at the age of 85. Shaw played college football at Georgia Tech and was selected in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He was also selected in the second round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He chose to sign with the Bills and played his entire career in Buffalo from 1961-1969. He won two AFL titles with the Bills in 1964 and 1965. Shaw was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and is the only player in the HOF to have played his entire career in the AFL.

(Obituary) October 4, 2024 – David Shaw, a defensive back in the Canadian Football League for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 71. Shaw played college football at HBCU Prairie View A&M and then signed with the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played for the team from 1975-1982. He also played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1983-1986 and won a Grey Cup title with the Blue Bombers in 1984.   

(Obituary) October 4, 2024 – Greg Landry, a quarterback in the NFL and the United States Football League, dies at the age of 77. Landry played college football at Massachusetts and was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 1968 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 1968-1978. He also played for the Baltimore Colts from 1979-1981, USFL Chicago Blitz in 1983, Arizona Wranglers 1984 and Chicago Bears in 1984. He was the offensive coordinator of the Bears from 1989-1992 and the quarterbacks coach of Lions in 1994 and 1995. Landry once had a 76-yard run on a quarterback sneak against the Green Bay Packers.

September

(Obituary) September 28, 2024 – Jim Tonn, a halfback in the Canadian Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 88. Tonn played football for the Weston Wildcats of the Canadian Junior Football League. He went on to play in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1958 and the BC Lions in 1959.  

(Obituary) September 28, 2024 – Johnny Burrell, a wide receiver and end in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 83. Burrell played college football at Rice and was selected in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was also selected in the 25th round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the Dallas Texans. However, he ended up signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers and played for the team from 1962-1964, He also played for the Washington Redskins from 1966-1967. Burrell was inducted into the Rice Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

(Obituary) September 21, 2024 – Eugene “Mercury” Morris, a running back in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 77. Morris played college football at West Texas A&M and was selected in the third round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in Miami from 1969-1975 and won back-to-back Super Bowls with the team. He was also a member of the Dolphins’ 1972 undefeated team. He finished his playing career with the San Diego Chargers in 1976.

(Obituary) September 17, 2024 – Donnell Thompson, a defensive end in the NFL for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 65. Thompson played college football at the University of North Carolina and was the 18th overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He played his entire career with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts from 1981-1991.  

(Obituary) September 14, 2024 – Charles Riggins, a defensive end in the NFL and the United States Football League, dies at the age of 64. Riggins played college football at HBCU Bethune-Cookman and was selected in the ninth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. However, he signed with the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits in 1984. He also spent time with the USFL Oakland Invaders and Orlando Renegades in 1985. He played in three games for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. 

(Obituary) September 13, 2024 – Ben Fairbrother, an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for seven seasons, dies as the result of a motorcycle accident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at the age of 51. Fairbrother played college football at the University of Calgary and won a Vanier Cup college football national championship in 1995. He was the second overall pick in the 1997 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played for the Roughriders from 1997-2000 as well as the BC Lions from 2001-2003. Fairbrother went on to be the offensive line coach for the Edmonton Wildcats in the Canadian Junior Football League.

(Obituary) September 11, 2024 – Joe Schmidt, a middle linebacker in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 92. Schmidt played college football at the University of Pittsburg and was selected in the seventh round of the 1953 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played his entire 13-year career in Detroit from 1953-1965, winning 2 NFL titles in 1951 and 1957. He was the linebackers coach of the Lions in 1966 and the head coach for the team for six seasons, from 1967-1972, posting a record of 43-34-7. Schmidt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

(Obituary) September 10, 2024 – Kevin Long, a running back in the NFL and the Untied States Football League, dies at the age of 69. Long played college football at South Carolina and was selected in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played for the Jets from 1977-1981. He also played in the USFL for the Chicago Blitz in 1983, the Arizona Wranglers in 1984 and the Arizona Outlaws in 1985.  

(Obituary) September 8 , 2024 – Allen Aldridge Jr., a linebacker in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 52. Aldridge played college football at the University of Houston and was selected in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played in Denver from 1994-1997 and won Super Bowl XXXII as a member of the Broncos. He also played for the Detroit Lions from 1998-2001. His father, Allen Aldridge Sr., was a defensive end in the NFL for three seasons between 1971 and 1974 with the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Oilers.

(Obituary) September 6, 2024 – Mike Lewis, a defensive lineman in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 75. Lewis played college football at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent and played for the team for nine seasons, from 1971-1979. He finished his playing career with the Green Bay Packers in 1980.  

(Obituary) September 3, 2024 – Dwight Harrison, a defensive back and a wide receiver in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 75. Harrison played college football at Texas A&M-Kingston and was selected in the second round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played for the Broncos in 1971 and 1972. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the 1972 season and played in Buffalo from 1972-1977. He also played for the Baltimore Colts in 1978 and 1979 and he finished his playing career with the Oakland Raiders in 1980. Harrison won Super Bowl XV as a member of the Raiders.

(Obituary) September 3, 2024 – Tom Myers, a quarterback in the NFL for two seasons, dies at the age of 81. Myers played college football at Northwestern and was selected in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He was also selected in the 1965 American Football League Draft by the Denver Broncos. He signed with the Lions and played in just one game each season for the team, in 1965 and 1966. Myers was inducted into the Northwestern University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Troy (OH) High School Athletic Hall of Fame with their inaugural class in 2013.

(Obituary) September 3,2024 – Charley Johnson, a quarterback in the NFL for 15 seasons, dies at the age of 85. Johnson played college football at New Mexico State and was selected in the 10^th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was also selected in the eighth round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Cardinals from 1961-1969. He also played for the Houston Oilers in 1970 and 1971 and the Denver Broncos from 1972-1975. He was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986.

August

(Obituary) August 24, 2024 – Eric Moten, an offensive lineman in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 56. Moten played college football at Michigan State and was selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played his entire career with the Chargers from 1991-1993 and 1995-1996.

(Obituary) August 24, 2024 – Mike Stensrud, a defensive lineman in the NFL for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 68. Stensrud played college football at Iowa State and was selected in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played for the Oilers from 1979-1985, the Minnesota Vikings in 1986, Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987, Kansas City Chiefs in 1988 and Washington Redskins in 1989. He was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.   

(Obituary) August 14, 2024 – Dan Dorazio, a long-time assistant coach in the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 72. He spent 26 years coaching at various colleges including Kent State, Hawaii, San Jose State, Washington, Northern Iowa, Boston University, Holy Cross, Georgia Tech, and Maryland. In 1998, he moved on to the CFL where he coached for the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts and the BC Lions. Dorazio won two Grey Cups with the Stampeders in 1998 and 2001 and two more Grey Cup victories with the Lions in 2006 and 2011.

(Obituary) August 8, 2024 – Woody Thompson, a running back in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 71. Thompson played college football at the University of Miami and was selected in the third round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played for the Falcons from 1975-1977.

(Obituary) August 6, 2024 – Jim Kearney, a defensive back in the NFL and the American Football League for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 81. Kearney played college football at Prairie View A&M and was selected in the 11th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 1965-1966. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967-1975, winning Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs. Kearney finished his playing career with the New Orleans Saints in 1976.

(Obituary) August 5, 2024 – Duane Thomas, a running back in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 77. Thomas played college football at West Texas A&M and was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played two seasons for Dallas in 1970 and 1971 and two seasons for the Washington Redskins in 1973 and 1973. He finished his playing career in 1975 with The Hawaiians of the WFL.  

July

(Obituary) July 29, 2024 – Benjamin Gay, a running back in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 44. The cause of death was not immediately released. Gay played college football at Garden City Community College in Kansas. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 2001 and played in all 16 games that season.

(Obituary) July 26, 2024 – Waddel Smith, a wide receiver in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 70. Smith played college football at Kansas and was selected in the eighth round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he chose to sign with the CFL Edmonton Eskimos and played for the team for seven seasons from 1977-1983, winning five consecutive Grey Cup titles (1978-1982) during the Warren Moon era. He also played one season in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys in 1984.

(Obituary) July 25, 2024 – Jerry Simmons, a wide receiver in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 81. Simmons played college football at Bethune-Cookman and signed with as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965. He played for the Steelers in 1965 and 1966. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears through 1969. He finished his playing career with the Denver Broncos from 1971-1974. After his playing career was over, Simmons became a longtime NFL scout. He was inducted into the Bethune-Cookman Hall of Fame in 2016.

(Obituary) July 25, 2024 – Don Webb, a defensive back in the NFL and the American Football League, dies at the age of 85. Webb played college football at Iowa State and was selected in the 24th round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots. He played 10 seasons for the Patriots from 1961-1971 but missed the 1963 season with a knee injury. The team became known as the New England Patriots in 1971. 

(Obituary) July 25, 2024 – Doug Smith, a nose tackle and defensive tackle in the NFL and the USFL, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 64. Smith played college football at Auburn and was selected in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. However, he chose to sign with the USFL Birmingham Stallions. He played one season for the Stallions in 1985 and then the USFL folded. He then signed with the Oilers in the fall of 1985 and played for the team for eight seasons from 1985-1992.

(Obituary) July 23, 2024 – Jim Ninowski, a quarterback in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 88. Ninowski played college football at Michigan State and was selected in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played two seasons with the Browns in 1958 and 1959. He then played for the Detroit Lions in 1960 and 1961 before returning to play for the Browns from 1962-1966. He won an NFL title with the Browns in 1964. Ninowski finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins from 1967-1968 and the New Orleans Saints in 1969.   

(Obituary) July 22, 2024 – Ralph Thomas, an end and defensive end in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 94. Thomas played college football at the University of San Francisco. He signed with the Chicago Cardinals and played for the team in 1952. He then served in the U.S. Army for two years before returning to the NFL. Thomas finished his brief playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1955 and 1956.  

(Obituary) July 22, 2024 – Peter Martin, a fullback, linebacker and guard in the Canadian Football League for nine seasons, dies at the age of 83. Martin played college football at Western Ontario and played his entire CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts from 1965-1974. He played in the 1971 Grey Cup game, losing to the Calgary Stampeders 14-11. He then became a radio broadcaster for the Argo from 1977–2010. He is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the Football Reporters of Canada section. Martin also coached high school football for 33 years, he co-founded the Mississauga minor football league in 1971 and was the president of the Argo Alumni Association. He was inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

(Obituary) July 18, 2024 – Glendale, AZ

* - Only Super Bowl MVP named from the losing team

For a list of NFL Champions prior to Super Bowl era (1920-1965), click here

For a recap of the Pro Bowls played since 1971, click here

(Obituary) July 4, 2024 – Larry Walton, a wide receiver in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 77. Walton played college football at Arizona State and was selected in the third round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 1969-1976 and finished his playing career in Buffalo Bills 1978.  

June

(Obituary) June 26, 2024 – Frank Nunley II, a linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 78. Nunley played college football at Michigan and helped lead the team to a victory in the 1965 Rose Bowl over Oregon State 34-7. He was selected in the third round of the 1967 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played his entire career with the 49ers from 1967-1976. His nickname was “Fudge Hammer,” because he had a sweet demeanor off the field and a hard-hitting presence on it.

(Obituary) June 21, 2024 – Darren Lewis, a running back in the NFL for three seasons, dies of cancer at the age of 55. Lewis played college football at Texas A&M and was selected in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played for the Bears from 1991-1993.

(Obituary) June 20, 2024 – Greg Larson, an offensive lineman in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 84. Larson played college football at Minnesota and won a college football national championship in 1960. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was also selected in the 11th round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Giants and played his entire career in New York from 1961-1973. He missed only three games during his career due to injury. Larson was inducted into the University of Minnesota’s “M” Club Hall of Fame in 2010.

(Obituary) June 19, 2024 – Dave Williams, a wide receiver and end in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 78. Williams played college football at the University of Washington and was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals from 1967-1971, the San Diego Chargers in 1972 and 1973 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1973 season. Williams finished his playing career with the WFL Southern California Sun in 1974 and 1975. He was also the first player signed by the Seattle Seahawks in 1976, but never played for the team due to a knee injury. Williams was named to the Washington Husky Hall of Fame 2014 class.

(Obituary) June 11, 2024 – Tony Hunter, a tight end in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 64. Hunter played college football at Notre Dame and was the 12th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He played for the Bills from 1983-1984 as well as the Los Angeles Rams from 1985-1986.

(Obituary) June 10, 2024 – Homer Rice, a head coach in college and in the NFL, dies at the age of 97. Rice began his coaching career as a high school coach in Kentucky and Tennessee from 1951-1961. He then became a college assistant coach at the University of Kentucky from 1962-1965 and at Oklahoma in 1966. He was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats from 1967-1968 and at Rice University from 1976-1977. Rice was also the head coach of the NFL Cincinnati Bengals from 1978-1979 and spent nearly 20 years as the athletic director at Georgia Tech.

(Obituary) June 10, 2024 – Brad Dusek, a linebacker in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 73. Dusek played college at Texas A&M and was selected in the third round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. However, he signed with the Washington Redskins in 1974 and played his entire career with the Redskins from 1974-1981.

(Obituary) June 9, 2024 – Coy “Ernest” Ruple, a defensive end in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 78. Ruple play college football at the University of Arkansas and was selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played just one season for the Steelers in 1968.

(Obituary) June 5, 2024 – Doug Porter, an HBCU college football coach for 26 years, dies at the age of 94. Porter began his college coaching career at Mississippi Valley State from 1961 to 1965. He also spent nine seasons at Grambling under Eddie Robinson, and at Howard University from 1974 to 1978. Porter was the head coach at Fort Valley State in Georgia from 1979 to 1985 and again from 1987 to 1996, posting a record of 112-66-3. While at Fort Valley, Porter was a seven-time Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and was athletic director at the school for 16 years. He only had five losing seasons in his 26 years as a head coach. Porter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Fort Valley Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

(Obituary) June 4, 2024 – Marvin Upshaw, a defensive lineman in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 77. Upshaw played college football at Division III Trinity University and was the 21^st overall pan style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107b> Western Illinois from 1957-1959. He was also an assistant coach with the AFL Boston Patriots from 1960–1961 and the AFL Buffalo Bills from 1962–1965. He was also the Bills head coach from 1966–1968. He then became the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator for 20 years, from 1969–1988 and was the creator of the team’s Orange Crush Defense. Collier finished his coaching career with the New England Patriots in 1991 and 1992.

May

(Obituary) May 30, 2024 – John Harvey, a running back in the Canadian Football League and the World Football League, dies at the age of 74. Harvey played college football at University of Texas-Arlington and signed with the CFL Montreal Alouettes in 1973. The head coach of the Alouettes at the time was future Pro Football and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Marv Levy. Harvey played one season in Montreal and then signed with the WFL Memphis Southmen, where he played from 1974-1975. He then returned to the CFL where he played for the Toronto Argonauts in 1976 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1977.   

(Obituary) May 26, 2024 – Curtis “Chip” Kell, a center in the Canadian Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 75. Kell played college football at Tennessee and was selected in the 17th round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. However, he chose to sign with the CFL Edmonton Eskimos where he played in 1971 and 1972. Kell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

(Obituary) May 24, 2024 – Eric Upton, an offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for eight seasons, dies at the age of 71. Upton played college football for the University of Ottawa Gee Gees and won a college football Vanier Cup National Championship title at the school in 1975. He was selected in the second round of the 1976 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he played his entire career from 1976-1984. Upton won five consecutive Grey Cup titles in Edmonton between 1978 and 1982, when the team was led by quarterback Warren Moon.

(Obituary) May 22, 2024 – Bob Grant, a linebacker in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 77. Grant played college football at Wake Forest and was selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He played for the Colts from 1968-1970 and the Washington Redskins in 1971. He played in Super Bowl III with the Colts and won Super Bowl V with the team. Grant finished his playing career in the World Football Legue, playing for the New York Stars and the Philadelphia Bell in 1974.

(Obituary) May 19, 2024 – Jim Otto, a center in the NFL and the American Football League for 15 seasons, dies at the age of 86. Otto played college football at Maimi (FL). He signed with the AFL Oakland Raiders in 1960 and played his entire career with the team through 1974. He played in Super Bowl II with the Raders, who lost to the Green Bay Packers 33-14. He was known for wearing double zero for his jersey number. Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

(Obituary) May 11, 2024 – Dave Pivec, a tight end in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 80. Pivec played college football at Notre Dame and was selected in the 14th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. However, he signed with the CFL Toronto Argonauts where he played two seasons in 1964 and 1965. He then played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-1968 and the Denver Broncos of the American Football League 1969. He finished his playing career with the CFL Ottawa Rough Riders in 1970 and 1971.

(Obituary) May 8, 2024 – Jimmy Johnson, a cornerback in the NFL for 16 seasons, dies at the age of 86. Johnson played college football at UCLA and was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was also selected in the fourth round of the American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the 49ers and played his entire career with the team from 1961-1976. Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

(Obituary) May 6, 2024 – Joe Collier, a coach in the NFL and the American Football League for over 31 years, dies at the age of 91. He started out as an assistant coach in college at Western Illinois from 1957-1959. He was also an assistant coach with the AFL Boston Patriots from 1960–1961 and the AFL Buffalo Bills from 1962–1965. He was also the Bills head coach from 1966–1968. He then became the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator for 20 years, from 1969–1988 and was the creator of the team’s Orange Crush Defense. Collier finished his coaching career with the New England Patriots in 1991 and 1992.

March

(Obituary) March 28, 2024 – Mike Mercer, a kicker and punter in the NFL and the American Football League for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 88. Mercer played college football at Minnesota and at Arizona and was selected in the 15th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played for the Vikings from 1961–1962. He also played for the Oakland Raiders from 1963–1966, the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966, the Buffalo Bills from 1967–1968, the Green Bay Packers from 1968–1969 and the San Diego Chargers in 1970.

(Obituary) March 28, 2024 – Jeff Jaeger, a kicker in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 59. Jaeger played college football at Washington and was selected in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played for the Brown in 1987 and then missed the 1988 season with the foot injury. Jaeger then signed with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989 and played for the team through 1995 when the team moved back to Oakland. He finished his playing career with the Chicago Bears from 1996-1999.  

(Obituary) March 24, 2024 – Herb Travenio, a kicker in the American Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 91. Travenio did not play college football. He signed as a free agent linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1964 but was traded to the San Diego Chargers, where he was a kicker in 1964 and 1965. He was one of the first black kickers in pro football.  

(Obituary) March 24, 2024 – Michael Blanton, a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for two seasons, dies at the age of 67. Blanton played college football at Georgia Tech and was selected in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. However, he signed as a free agent with the CFL British Columbia Lions in 1979 and played for the team in 1979 and 1980. He was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 1980 season and finished his brief playing career with the Roughriders.

(Obituary) March 22, 2024 – Leo Sanford, a linebacker in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 94. Sanford played college football at Louisiana Tech and was selected in the eighth round of the 1951 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals from 1951-1957. Sanford finished his playing career with the Baltimore Colts in 1958 and won an NFL title with the Colts.

(Obituary) March 20, 2024 – Carmen Cavalli, a defensive end in the American Football League, United Football League and the Continental Football League, dies at the age of 86. Cavalli played college football at Richmond and signed with the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League in 1960. He played just one season for the Raiders in 1960. Cavalli went on to play for the Wheeling Ironmen of the United Football League in 1962 and he also played for the Continental Football League’s Philadelphia Bulldogs in 1965 and 1966. He won a league title with the Bulldogs in 1966.

(Obituary) March 19. 2024 – Nathanial Dye, a guard, tackle and end in the Canadian Football League for eight seasons, dies at the age of 86. Dye played college football at Georgia. He signed with the CFL Edmonton Eskimos in 1959 and played for the team through 1964. He was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 1964 season and finished his playing career in Saskatchewan in 1965.   

(Obituary) March 17, 2024 – Don Smerek, a defensive lineman in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 66. Smerek played college football at Nevada. He signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1980 and played his entire career in Dallas from 1980-1986.

(Obituary) March 15, 2024 – Steve Tensi, a quarterback in the American Football League for six seasons, dies at the age of 81. Tensi played college football at Florida State and was selected in the 16th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He was also selected in the fourth round of the 1965 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Chargers and played for the team in 1965 and 1966. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967-1970.

(Obituary) March 14, 2024 – Steve Sloan, longtime coach and administrator in college football, dies at the age of 79. Sloan played quarterback at Alabama and led the team to a national championship in 1965. He was also named MVP of the Orange Bowl that year. He was selected in the 11th round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played very little during his two seasons with the team in 1965 and 1966. He then turned his attention to coaching. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Alabama from 1968–1970. He was also an assistant coach at Florida State in 1971 and Georgia Tech in 1972. He was the head coach at Vanderbilt from 1973–1974, Texas Tech from 1975–1977, Ole Miss 1978–1982 and Duke from 1983–1986. His last coaching position was as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt in 1990. Sloan also was the athletic director at Alabama from 1987–1989, North Texas from 1991–1993, UCF from 1993–2002 and Chattanooga from 2002–2006.  

(Obituary) March 13, 2024 – Alvin Haymond, a defensive back and kick returner in the NFL for 10 seasons, dies at the age of 81. Haymond played college football at Southern University and was selected in the 18th round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He played for the Colts from 1964-1967, the Philadelphia Eagles in 1968, the Los Angeles Rams from 1969-1971, the Washington Redskins in 1972 and the Houston Oilers in 1973. He led the NFL in punt return yardage three times.

(Obituary) March 10, 2024 – Wayne Wilson, a running back in the NFL for nine seasons, dies at the age of 66. Wilson played college football at Shepherd University and was selected in the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. However, he ended up signing with the New Orleans Saints and played for the team from 1979-1986. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings during the 1986 season. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1987 and won Super Bowl XXII with Washington.

(Obituary) March 10, 2024 – Herbie Anderson, a defensive back in the NFL for one season, dies at the age of 55. Anderson played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville and was selected in the tenth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals. However, he ended up signing with the Houston Oilers and played in one game for the team during the 1991 season.

(Obituary) March 10, 2024 – Doug Blevins, a kicking coach in high school, college and the NFL, dies at the age of 60. Blevins was born with cerebral palsy, but that did not stop him from coaching football. He became the NFL’s first handicapped coach in 1994 when he worked for the New York Jets. From 1995-2000, he was the kicking coordinator for NFL Europe. He then spent several seasons coaching for the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. He worked with numerous NFL kickers, including Justin Tucker, Adam Vinatieri, Olindo Mare, and David Akers. Blevins also coached at East Tennessee State University in 2021 and 2022.

(Obituary) March 10, 2024 – Ernie Clark, a linebacker in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 86. Clark played college football at Michigan State and was selected in the 13th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played in Detroit from 1963-1967 and was then traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he finished his playing career in 1968.

(Obituary) March 9, 2024 – Dave Ritchie, a Hall of Fame coach in the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 85. Ritchie was the head coach of three CFL teams; the BC Lions from 1993-1995, the Montreal Alouettes from 1997-1998 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1999-2004. He won a Grey Cup title as the head coach of the Lions in 1994. He also won two more titles when he was an assistant coach with the Blue Bombers (1990) and the Lions (2006). Ritchie was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

(Obituary) March 9, 2024 – Roger Davis, a guard and tackle in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 85. Davis played college football at Syracuse and was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 1960 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played for the Bears from 1960-1963 and won an NFL title with the team in 1963. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1964 and finished his playing career with the New York Giants from 1965-1966.

(Obituary) March 8, 2024 – John Isenbarger, a running back and wide receiver in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 76. Isenbarger played college football at Indiana and was selected in the second round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played for the 49ers from 1970-1973 and finished his short five-year playing career with The Hawaiians of the WFL in 1974.   

(Obituary) March 6, 2024 – Jimmie Browner, Jr., a defensive back in the NFL for two seasons, dies at the age of 68. Browner played college football at Notre Dame and was selected in the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played both his seasons with the Bengals in 1979 and 1980.    

(Obituary) March 4, 2024 - Char-ron Dorsey, a tackle in the NFL for two seasons, dies at the age of 46. Dorsey played college football at Florida State and was selected in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played for the Cowboys in 2001 and 2002 but was traded to the Houston Texans during the 2002 season.

(Obituary) March 3, 2024 – Chris Mortenson, dies at the age of 72. Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and was a regular contributor to the network's NFL coverage and on "SportsCenter." Mortensen was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016 and stepped away from his role at ESPN last year. Before coming to ESPN, Mortensen wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1983-1990. He covered the Atlanta Falcons, the MLB Atlanta Braves as well as the NFL. Mortensen also was a columnist for The Sporting News, a contributor to Sport magazine and a consultant with CBS Sports' "NFL Today" in 1990. He began his journalism career at the South Bay (California) Daily Breeze in 1969 and won the National Headliner Award for investigative reporting in all categories in 1978. He received 18 awards in journalism and was nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes in his career. He also was the author of the book "Playing for Keeps: How One Man Stopped the Mob from Sinking its Hooks into Pro Football." Mortensen, a native of Torrance, California. He attended El Camino College before serving two years in the Army.

(Obituary) March 1, 2024 – Allan Watson, a soccer player from Wales who became a kicker in the NFL and the World Football League, dies at the age of 81. Watson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and played in four games with the team in 1970. He also played for two teams in the WFL, the Chicago Fire in 1974 and the Chicago Winds in 1975.   

(Obituary) March 1, 2024 – Andy Russell, a linebacker in the NFL for 12 seasons, dies at the age of 82. Russell played college football at Missouri and was selected in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played his entire career with the Steelers from 1963- 1976 but missed the 1964 season while fulfilling his ROTC commitments in the Army. He won Super Bowls IX and X with the team.

February

(Obituary) February 27, 2024 – Dale Messer, a defensive back, wide receiver and kick returner in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 86. Messer played college football at Fresno State and was selected in the fourth round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was also selected by the 13th round of the 1961 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the 49ers and played for the team from 1961-1965.

(Obituary) February 26, 2024 – Craig Roh, a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League for five seasons, dies of colon cancer at the age of 33. Roh played college football at Michigan and signed with the BC Lions in 2015. He played two seasons for the Lions in 2015 and 2016. He also played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2017-2019. He won a Grey Cup title with Winnipeg in 2019.

(Obituary) February 25, 2024 – Steve Okoniewski, a defensive lineman in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 74. Okoniewski played college football at Montana and at Washington. He was selected in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. However, he ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills where he played in 1972 and 1973. He also played for the Green Bay Packers in 1974 and 1975 as well as the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976 and 1977.

(Obituary) February 23, 2024 – Golden Richards, a wide receiver in the NFL for seven seasons, dies at the age of 73. Richards played college football at BYU and at Hawaii and was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played in Dallas from 1973-1978. He won Super Bowl XII with the Cowboys. Richards finished his playing career with the Chicago Bears in 1979.

(Obituary) February 21, 2024 – Kent Kramer, a tight end in the NFL for eight seasons, dies at the age of 79. Kramer played college football at Minnesota and was selected in the ninth round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, He was also selected in the 13th round of the 1966 American Football League Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Kramer signed with the 49ers and played his rookie season with the team in 1966. He also played for the New Orleans Saints in 1967, the Minnesota Vikings from 1969-1970 and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1971-1974. He played in Super Bowl IV as a member of the Vikings.  

(Obituary) February 19, 2024 – Mike Falls, a guard in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 89 due to complications of COVID-19. Falls played college football at Minnesota and was selected in the 20th round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. However, he was cut by the Giants at the end of training camp and ended up playing for the CFL Toronto Argonauts in 1956. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys in 1960 and 1961.   

(Obituary) February 15, 2024 – Fulton Kuykendal, a linebacker in the NFL for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 70. He was known to his teammates as Kaptain Krazy. Kuykendal played college football at UCLA and was selected in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played in Atlanta from 1975-1984 and was a member of the famed "Grits Blitz" defense. He finished his playing career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1985.

(Obituary) February 13, 2024 – Ken Ploen, a quarterback and defensive back in the Canadian Football League for 11 seasons, dies at the age of 88. Ploen played college football at Iowa and was named MVP of the 1957 Rose Bowl. He was selected in the 19th round of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. However, he signed with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers and played his entire career with the team for 1957-1967. He won four Grey Cup titles with the team in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. He retired after the 1967 season as the Blue Bombers all-time leading passer. Ploen was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1975, the Blue Bombers Hall of Fame in 1984, and he was added to the team’s Ring of Honor in 2016.

(Obituary) February 8, 2024 – Rod Sherman, a wide receiver in the NFL and the American Football League, dies at the age of 79. Sherman played college football at USC and was selected in the fourth round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He was also the seventh overall pick in the 1966 AFL Redshirt Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He signed with the Raiders and played for the team in 1967. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, went back and played for the Raiders from 1969-1971, the Denver Broncos in 1972 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1973.

(Obituary) February 8, 2024 – Michael Hicks, a running back in the NFL for two seasons, dies at the age of 51. Hick played college football at South Carolina State and was selected in the seventh round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played for the Bears in 1996 and 1997.

(Obituary) February 6, 2024 – Chuck Dickerson, an assistant coach in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 86. Dickerson coached for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1991. He also coached under Levy in the Canadian Football League when the two were with the Montreal Alouettes. Following his coaching career, he became a sports talk radio host at radio station WGR in Buffalo, NY.

(Obituary) February 6, 2024 – Ken Fritz, who was a guard in college, dies at the age of 66. Fritz played college football at Ohio State and was selected in the 10th round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he never played in the NFL. He is best known as the player who held back Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes along the sideline late in the 1978 Gator Bowl after the legendary coach struck Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman, who had just intercepted a pass from Buckeyes quarterback Art Schlichter. The punch led to Hayes being fired.

(Obituary) February 5, 2024 – Jerry Daanen, a wide received in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 79. Daanen played college football at Miami and was selected in the eighth round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played all three of his seasons with the Cardinals from 1968-1970.

(Obituary) February 4, 2024 – Tony Hutson, a guard in the NFL for four seasons, dies at the age of 49. Hutson played college football at Northeastern Oklahoma State University, an NAIA school, and signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played for three seasons, from 1997-1999. He finished his brief playing career with the Washington Redskins in 2000. His career was cut short due to a lingering knee injury.

(Obituary) February 4, 2024 – Rich Caster, a tight end and wide receiver in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 75. Caster played college football at HBCU Jackson State and was selected in the second round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played for the Jets for eight seasons, from 1970-1977, He then played with the Houston Oilers from 1978-1980. He signed with the New Orleans Saints in 1981 but was traded during the season to the Washington Redskins and finished his playing career there in 1982. He won Super Bowl XVII (17) with the Redskins.     

(Obituary) February 1, 2024 – Carl Weathers, the Hollywood actor who also played linebacker in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 76. Weathers played college football at San Diego State and signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders where he played for two seasons in 1970 and 1971. He then played for the CFL BC Lions for three seasons, from 1971-1973. After his brief pro football career, Weathers went on to make many movies. He appeared in the first four “Rocky” movies as Apollo Creed alongside Sylvester Stallone as well as in the movie “Happy Gilmore” with Adam Sandler. One of his most recent roles was in “The Mandalorian” TV series.

(Obituary) February 1, 2024 – Alonzo Johnson, a linebacker in the NFL for two seasons, dies at the age of 60. Johnson played college football at Florida and was selected in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for the Eagles in 1986 and 1987. He then entered a drug rehabilitation program and never played again. Johnson was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2002.

January

(Obituary) January 1, 2024 – Frank Ryan, a quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, dies at the age of 87. Ryan played college football at Rice and was selected in the fifth round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played in LA from 1958-1961. He also played for the Cleveland Browns from 1962-1968 and won an NFL title with the Browns in 1964. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1969 and 1970.

(Obituary) January 4, 2024 – Marty Amsler, a defensive end in the NFL for three seasons, dies at the age of 81. Amsler played college football at Indiana and was selected in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. However, he signed with the Chicago Bears and played for the team in 1967 and 1969. In 1970, he spent time playing for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers.

(Obituary) January 5, 2024 – Jack Squirek, a linebacker in the NFL for five seasons, dies at the age of 64. Squirek played college football at Illinois and was selected in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders. He played for the Raiders from 1982-1985. He won Super Bowl XLIII (18) with the Raiders. Squirek finished his playing career with the Miami Dolphins in 1986.

(Obituary) January 5, 2024 – Tavares Washington, a guard and tackle who played briefly in the NFL, NFL Europe and the United Football League, dies at the age of 40. Washington played college football at Florida and signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. He was on the team’s practice squad in 2006 and 2007. He also played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2007. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 and appeared in just two regular-season games. In 2009, Washington played for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League and won a UFL title with the team.

(Obituary) January 5, 2024 – Willie Bethea, a fullback and halfback in the Canadian Football League for eight seasons, dies at the age of 84. Bethea played college football at Rider University. He signed with the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1963 and played his entire career with the team from 1963-1970, winning three Grey Cup titles in 1963, 1965 and 1967. Bethea was inducted into the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wall of Honor in 2012.

(Obituary) January 6, 2024 – Burke Dales, a punter in the Canadian Football League for 9 seasons, dies at the age of 46. The cause of death was not immediately released. Dales played college football at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders in 2005 and played for the team for seven seasons, through 2011. He also played for the Edmonton Eskimos in 2012 and 2013 and finished his playing career as a member of the Montral Alouettes at the end of the 2013 season. His sister, Stacey Dales is an NFL sideline reporter for the NFL Network.    

(Obituary) January 6, 2024 – Bob Gaiters, a halfback in the NFL, the American Football League and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 85. Gaiters played college football at New Mexico State and was selected in the second round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was also selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1961 American Football League Draft by the Denver Broncos. He signed with the Giants and played for the team in 1961 and 1962. He was traded to the San Fransico 49ers during the 1962 season. In 1963, he played for the Broncos in the AFL. Gaiters went on to play in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1964. He finished his career in the Continental Football League and played for the Newark Bears in 1965, the Hartford Charter Oaks in 1966 and the Orange County Ramblers in 1967.

(Obituary) January 7, 2024 – Wendell Harris, a defensive back and kicker in the NFL for six seasons, dies at the age of 83. Harris played college football at LSU and was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He was also selected in the seventh round of the 1962 American Football League Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Colts and played for the team from 1962-1965. He also played for the New York Giants from 1966-1967.