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2007 Notable Sports Deaths
Associated Press
Article Launched: 12/31/2007 10:28:34 PM MST
May 3 -- Tiny L. Laster Jr., 61, Hampton University women's coach who led the softball team to a regular-season championship on May 1. Laster, who took over as the Lady Pirates softball coach in 1989, compiled a career record of 535-300-1. He also had a 215-250 record in 13 years as volleyball coach, and a 139-67 record as Hampton's women's basketball coach.
May 3 -- Alex Agase, 85, three-time All-American and College Football Hall of Fame member who coached at Northwestern and Purdue. A guard and linebacker, Agase was an All-American at Illinois in 1942 and at Purdue in
1943 after transferring to train for the Marines. He returned to Illinois after World War II and earned All-America honors again in 1946.
May 5 -- Tom Hutchinson, 65, former wide receiver who played on the 1964 Cleveland Browns team that won the NFL championship.
May 7 -- Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29, boxer who died in a high-speed motorcycle crash in Las Vegas. Corrales, who fought most of his career at 130 pounds, was a big puncher best known for getting up after two 10th-round knockdowns to stop Jose Luis Castillo on May 7, 2005. Boxing Writers Association of America and numerous boxing publications called it the fight of the year.
May 9 -- Gino Pariani, 79, player for the United States on the 1950 soccer team that produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Pariani was part of the mostly amateur team that jolted the soccer world with its 1-0 defeat of powerful England in Brazil.
May
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9 -- Charley Ane, 76, standout tackle for Southern California in the early 1950s and an All-Pro lineman for the Detroit Lions. In seven years with Detroit, he was an All-Pro center-tackle and a member of the Lions' 1953 and 1957 NFL champs, and was team captain in 1958-59.May 13 -- Gomer Hodge, 63, member of the 1971 Cleveland Indians.
May 14 -- Jean Saubert, 65, winner of two skiing medals for the United States at the 1964 Olympics. Saubert shared a silver medal in the giant slalom and won a bronze in the slalom at the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
May 16 -- DeAndre Adams, 20, Winthrop basketball player died four days after sustaining head injuries in a car accident.
May 17 -- John Gonzaga, 74, former NFL lineman who was working in a steel mill when he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 1956. Gonzaga played for four teams over 11 seasons.
May 20 -- Norman Von Nida, 93, former Australian Open champion who won more than 80 titles worldwide and was a trailblazer for Australian golf.
May 21 -- Sam Kagel, 98, the mediator who helped resolve the 1982 NFL strike.
May 26 -- Howard Porter, 58, one of the best players in Villanova basketball history, who led the Wildcats to the 1971 NCAA championship game. The Wildcats lost to UCLA 68-62, but Porter was voted the tournament's outstanding player.
May 26 -- Gene Gibson, 82, coach of the Texas Tech men's basketball team from 1961-69. He compiled a 101-91 overall record.
May 28 -- Marquise Hill, 24, a defensive end for the New England Patriots died in a a jet ski accident on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana.
May 29 -- Dave Balon, 68, member of 1965 and 1966 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Balon scored 192 goals and 222 assists in a a 14-year NHL career. Between 1968 and 1972, Balon played with center Walt Tkaczuk and right wing Bill Fairbairn to form the New York Rangers' Bulldog Line. He led New York with 33 goals in 1969-70 and 36 in 1970-71.
May 31 -- Janice-Lee Romary, 79, a fencer who competed in six consecutive Olympics and was the first woman to carry the U.S. flag during opening ceremonies. Romary competed in the Olympics from 1948 until 1968. Her total of 10 U.S. foil championships is the most of any man or woman. Romary carried the flag at her final Olympics, the 1968 games at Mexico City.
June 1 -- Dave Smalley, 72, coach of the men's and women's basketball teams at Navy during more than 50 years in sports at the academy. Navy's basketball court is named for Smalley, who coached the men's team from 1966-76. He then began shepherding the women's basketball program into existence, coaching the women from 1977-89.
June 4 -- Clete Boyer, 70, third baseman for the champion New York Yankees teams of the 1960s who made an art form of diving stops and throws from his knees. Boyer played from 1955-71 with the Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Atlanta.
June 4 -- Bill France Jr., 74, former chairman of NASCAR. France transformed NASCAR from a small Southern sport into a billion-dollar conglomerate during his 31 years (1972-2003) as chairman.
June 10 -- Jim Killingsworth, 83, former TCU men's basketball coach. Killingsworth took over a struggling TCU basketball team in the 1980s and compiled a 130-106 record in eight seasons.
June 11 -- Vern Hoscheit, 85, a coach on four World Series championship teams with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets. Hoscheit was a coach from 1969-74 with the A's, earning World Series rings in his final three seasons. Hoscheit was the Mets' bullpen coach from 1984-87.
June 11 -- Ray Mears, 80, the Tennessee basketball coach who presided over the "Ernie and Bernie show" during his 15 seasons. In the mid-1970s, Mears coached future NBA players Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. Mears' teams went 278-112 at Tennessee between 1962 and 1978.
June 12 -- Jim Norton, 68, a four-time AFL All-Star safety and an original member of the Houston Oilers. Norton retired in 1969 after playing nine seasons with the Oilers, and was the franchise leader with 45 interceptions up to his death.
June 19 -- Terry Hoeppner, 59, Indiana football coach. Hoeppner, who compiled a record of 48-25 at Miami of Ohio before going to Indiana, died just two seasons into rebuilding the Hoosiers' program.
June 20 -- Jim Shoulders, 79, winner of 16 world championships, the most of any rodeo cowboy, and a charter member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
June 22 -- Ralph J. Morano, 74, a longtime trainer and driver who made a second career fighting for harness horsemen's rights as the track representative at The Meadowlands. Morano trained and drove horses from his own stable, amassing 195 wins, 185 seconds and 240 thirds from 1,628 starts from 1967 to 1979.
June 23 -- Rod Beck, 38, a three All-Star relief pitcher who earned 286 career saves. Nicknamed "Shooter," Beck pitched for San Francisco (1991-97), the Chicago Cubs (1998-99) and the Boston Red Sox (1999-2001) before finishing his career with San Diego (2003-04).
June 24 -- Fritz Massmann, 80, former head trainer for the New Jersey Nets for more than 20 years -- including the team's American Basketball Association heyday.
June 25 -- Chris Benoit, 40, a WWE wrestler who was a former world heavyweight and Intercontinental champion. Benoit was found dead in his home in a murder-suicide of his wife and 7-year-old son.
June 26 -- Jupp Derwall, 80, coach of Germany's soccer team which won the European title in 1980 and was runner-up at the 1982 World Cup.
June 26 -- Bobby Hussey, 67, former head basketball coach at Virginia Tech and Davidson. Hussey won 310 games in his coaching career, including 179 at Belmont Abbey where he worked for 10 seasons.
June 26 -- Pam Smith, 47, Wittenberg University's most successful women's basketball coach. In 21 seasons at her alma mater, she had a 401-170 record and led Wittenberg to seven NCAC conference tournament championships.
June 29 -- Elmer Gross, 90, the coach of Penn State's basketball team that went to the 1954 Final Four. He played three seasons at Penn State, and was the Nittany Lions' leading scorer in his final season in 1942. Gross returned to Penn State in 1945 as an assistant and took over as head coach in 1950, guiding Penn State to the NCAAs in 1952 and 1954 before retiring after five seasons.
July 2 -- Jimmy Walker, 63, former Providence All-American and a first-round NBA draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1967. Walker led the nation in scoring in 1967 as a senior, averaging more than 30 points a game. Walker, who played nine seasons in the NBA with Detroit, Houston and Kansas City, averaged 16.7 points per game for his career, including a high of 21.3 in 1971-72.
July 2 -- Al Williams, 60, a member of Drake's 1969 NCAA Final Four team and one of the school's all-time leading rebounders. Williams played for the Bulldogs from 1967-70 and left as Drake's career rebounding leader with an 8.6 average.
July 9 -- Kenneth A. MacAfee, 77, pro football player for the New York Giants from 1954-58.
July 10 -- Francis "Bucko" Kilroy, 86, a former New England Patriots executive who was known throughout the league as a top talent scout. Kilroy was a six-time All-Pro guard for the Philadelphia Eagles during a 13-season playing career in the 1940s and 50s. During a 64-season NFL career, including 36 years with the Patriots, Kilroy also worked in player personnel and scouting for the Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, and mentored others who went on to lead NFL scouting departments.
July 11 -- Jimmy Skinner, 90, former Detroit Red Wings coach. Skinner led a team starring Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay to the Stanley Cup in 1955, his first year as coach. Skinner coached the team through 38 games of the 1957-58 season, when the Wings replaced him with Sid Abel.
July 11 -- Shag Crawford, 90, longtime major league umpire. Born Henry Charles Crawford, Shag called more than 3,000 games as a National League umpire from 1956-75. He worked the World Series three times, the NL championship series twice and handled three All-Star games.
July 11 -- Larry Staverman, 70, the first coach of the Indiana Pacers when they started as an ABA franchise in 1967.
July 14 -- John Ferguson Sr., 68, former NHL player and general manager. Ferguson played eight NHL seasons from 1963-71, all with the Montreal Canadiens, and was a Stanley Cup champion five times. Ferguson was general manager and coach of the New York Rangers for two tumultuous years until 1978 and general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, both in the WHA and NHL, from 1979-88, briefly serving as coach.
July 16 -- Dick Ault, 81, a former Olympian and University of Missouri track star. Ault placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1948 Olympics in London and tied the world record in the 440-yard hurdles at a 1949 meet in Oslo, Norway. He spent nearly 30 years at Westminster College, coaching track, cross country, golf and swimming.
July 18 -- Jerry Schneider, 87, builder of the first indoor tennis facility. Schneider established the North Shore Racquet Club in 1961 in the Chicago suburb of Glenview.
July 20 -- Bill Flemming, 80, a longtime ABC Sports broadcaster who covered events as varied as the Olympics, college football and cliff diving. Flemming also reported on more than 600 events for ABC's "Wide World of Sports."
July 22 -- Rollie Stiles, 100, former St. Louis Brown pitcher. Stiles pitched for the Browns in 1930, 1931 and 1933, compiling a 9-14 record with a 5.92 earned run average.
July 22 -- Mike Coolbaugh, 35, a coach with the Tulsa Drillers, died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game in Arkansas.
July 26 -- Skip Prosser, 56, Wake Forest basketball coach. Prosser spent six seasons with the Demon Deacons and led the team to the program's first No. 1 national ranking during the 2004-05 season. Before arriving in Winston-Salem, Prosser was head coach at Xavier for seven seasons and at Loyola of Maryland for one year. Prosser had a career record of 291-146 in 14 seasons, including 126-68 with Wake Forest.
July 29 -- Jim David, 79, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive back who won three NFL championships with the Detroit Lions. The Lions won NFL championships in 1952, '53 and '57, with David as a starter.
July 29 -- Bill Robinson, 64, a major league baseball player from 1966 to 1983. Robinson, who played on Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series championship team, was an outfielder for Atlanta, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
July 30 -- Bill Walsh, 75, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh went 102-63-1 in 10 seasons with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles.
July 31 -- Kerry Brown, 35, an assistant coach for the Green Bay Blizzard of arenafootball2, died after his truck ran into a ditch in Kaukauna, Wis. He played nine seasons in the AFL as a receiver and linebacker.
Aug. 2 -- Ed Brown, 78, a former NFL quarterback and a leader of the University of San Francisco's undefeated 1951 team. Brown played 12 NFL seasons, including eight with the Chicago Bears and nearly four more with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aug. 7 -- Miklos Pancsics, 63, a defender who won a soccer gold medal with Hungary at the 1968 Olympics and helped his Ferencvaros club win three Hungarian league titles.
Aug. 7 -- Gato Del Sol, 28, the winner of the 1982 Kentucky Derby.
Aug. 7 -- Willie Booker, 65, former Florida A&M basketball coach. Booker led the Rattlers to their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament title in 1991 and had a 137-125 record from 1984-1993.
Aug. 9 -- Warren Stute, 85, a longtime Southern California trainer who gave Bill Shoemaker a leg up in the Hall of Fame jockey's first $100,000 stakes win in 1951. Stute's career spanned nearly 70 years. Stute went 51 years between victories in the Del Mar Debutante. He saddled the race's first winner, Tonga, in 1951. He won again in 2002 with Miss Houdini.
Aug. 13 -- Phil Rizzuto, 89, the New York Yankees shortstop during their dynasty years of the 1940s and 1950s, who was popular as a player and beloved as a broadcaster. At 5-foot-6, he played over his head, winning seven World Series titles and an AL MVP award and becoming a five-time All-Star.
Aug. 15 -- Sam Pollock, 81, vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1960s and 1970s. As the architect of the Canadiens dynasties, Pollock won nine Stanley Cup titles during his tenure as general manager from the 1964-65 season to 1978.
Aug. 17 -- Eddie Griffin, 25, the former Seton Hall star and five-year NBA veteran died when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in a fiery crash in Houston.
Aug. 20 -- William "Wild Bill" Hagy, 68, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium.
Aug. 20 -- Burr Baldwin, 85, the first UCLA football player to be named a consensus All-American. Baldwin, who played end for the Bruins, earned all-America honors in 1946 when he led his team with 18 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns.
Aug. 22 -- Butch van Breda Kolff, 84, a college coach for 28 years who also coached the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA finals appearances. He posted a 482-272 coaching record in the college ranks, and was 287-316 in 10 seasons as an NBA and ABA coach. He coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1967-69, and lost to the Boston Celtics both times in the finals.
Aug. 25 -- Jack Leonard, 89, a boxing trainer who was attacked after refusing to turn a champion fighter's contract to the mob in the early 1950s. He later testified before a federal grand jury about those who had approached him, and eight people eventually were sent to prison.
Aug. 26 -- Tommy Spinks, 58, former Louisiana Tech All-American wide receiver who teamed with Terry Bradshaw to form one of the most feared tandems in college football.
Aug. 26 -- Charles Albert "Chuck" Comiskey II, 81, grandson and namesake of the Chicago White Sox founder and a former front-office executive and co-owner during the "Go Go Sox" years in the 1950s.
Aug. 27 -- Julian William "Tex" Robertson, 98, former University of Texas swim coach. Robertson served as the Texas men's swimming and diving coach from 1936-1943 and from 1946-50. The Longhorns won 13 Southwest Conference championships during his career.
Aug. 28 -- Rodger DeGarmo Jr., 38, USA Weightlifting executive director.
Aug. 30 -- Leonard Coffman, 90, the last surviving starter on Tennessee's 1939 football team. Coffman, a fullback, played on the undefeated 1938 team that won a national championship and on the 1939 team that didn't allow a single point until losing to USC 14-0 in the Rose Bowl.
Aug. 31 -- Gay Brewer, 75, the 1967 Masters champion and 11-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Sept. 1 -- Russell Ellington, 69, a college basketball coach who also coached the Harlem Globetrotters. Ellington accumulated a 894-212 record while coaching basketball for more than 40 years, including stints with Savannah State College, Savannah Tech and Morris Brown. Ellington was best known nationally for his stint touring with the Globetrotters from 1984-93.
Sept. 1 -- Viliam Schrojf, 76, goalkeeper who helped Czechoslovakia reach the final of soccer's 1962 World Cup. At the 1962 World Cup in Chile, Czechoslovakia lost 3-1 to Brazil in the final.
Sept. 2 -- Max McNab, 83, a player and general manager of two NHL teams in a nearly 50-year hockey career. McNab won the Stanley Cup as a player with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950. McNab was the general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1975-81. He joined the New Jersey Devils as vice president of hockey operations the following season and served as general manager from 1983-87.
Sept. 3 -- Clarke Bynum, 45, former Clemson basketball player from 1980-84.
Sept. 8 -- Dennis Storer, 75, founder of the soccer and rugby programs at UCLA.
Sept. 10 -- Ted Stepien, 82, former Cleveland Cavaliers owner whose propensity for trading away draft picks resulted in an NBA rule change. The Cavaliers went 66-180, dropped to the bottom of the league in attendance and lost $15 million during Stepien's three years of ownership.
Sept. 15 -- Colin McRae, 39, winner of 25 races in a World Rally Championship career that ran from 1987 to 2004.
Sept. 16 -- Garrard "Buster" Ramsey, 87, the first coach of the Buffalo Bills. Ramsey played guard at William and Mary, where he was the school's first All-American. He was part of the Chicago Cardinals' team that won the 1947 championship. In 1959, he became coach of the newly formed Bills team of the old AFL, where he was 11-16-1 in two seasons before being fired in 1962.
Sept. 16 -- Louis J. Willie Jr., 84, a black businessman who helped defuse a racial dispute surrounding the 1990 PGA Championship by becoming an honorary member at the all-white Shoal Creek club in suburban Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 17 -- Martha Gerry, 88, chairman emeritus of the board of trustees of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Gerry bred and owned three-time Horse of the Year Forego.
Sept. 18 -- Nate Hill, 41, former four-year letterman at Auburn who was drafted by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 1988.
Sept. 26 -- William Wirtz, 77, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks for more than four decades. The family, led by Arthur Wirtz, purchased the Chicago Blackhawks in 1954. Wirtz was chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Hockey League for 18 years and helped negotiate the merger of the NHL and the World Hockey Association in the late 1970's.
Sept. 28 -- Wally Parks, 94, an automobile enthusiast who founded the National Hot Rod Association in 1951.
Oct. 1 -- Al Oerter, 71, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics (1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968). Oerter and Carl Lewis are the only track and field stars to capture the same event in four consecutive Olympics. Oerter, however, is the only one to set an Olympic record in each of his victories.
Oct. 1 -- Taylor Bradford, 21, a University of Memphis football player was fatally shot on campus.
Oct. 2 -- Dewitt "Tex" Coulter, 83, former New York Giants tackle. Coulter was an All-American on Army's 1945 national championship team. He played left tackle for the Giants from 1946-1952 and made the All-Pro team in 1948 and 1949.
Oct. 5 -- Edwyn "Bob" Owen, 71, a player on the 1960 team that won the first Olympic gold medal in hockey for the United States.
Oct. 8 -- John Henry, 32, thoroughbred great and two-time Horse of the Year who earned more than $6.5 million. John Henry was the highest earning thoroughbred in history when he was retired in 1985.
Oct. 13 -- Alec Kessler, 40, a Georgia basketball star who played four seasons for the Miami Heat. During his senior season, Georgia won its only SEC basketball title.
Oct. 14 -- Slew o'Gold, 27, a champion 3-year-old colt who went on to sire 28 stakes winners. Slew o'Gold won 12 of 21 starts during his three-year racing career, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Wood Memorial in 1983. He won the Gold Cup again in 1984.
Oct. 20 -- Max McGee, 75, the unexpected hero of the first Super Bowl. Inserted into Packers' lineup when Boyd Dowler was sidelined by a shoulder injury, McGee went on to catch the first touchdown pass in Super Bowl history in Green Bay's 35-10 victory over Kansas City in January 1967. Still hung over from a night on the town, McGee caught seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Oct. 20 -- Jim Mitchell, 60, a Pro Bowl tight end for the Atlanta Falcons. Mitchell played for the Falcons from 1969-79 and was named to the Pro Bowl following the 1969 and 1972 seasons.
Oct. 20 -- Bob Packard, 64, the winningest football coach at Baldwin-Wallace. Packard, who retired in 2001, went 156-54-2.
Oct. 24 -- Cynthia Phipps, 62, thoroughbred owner and breeder. Among stakes winners campaigned by Phipps were Christmas Past, champion 3-year-old filly in 1982, Gold Fever, Lead Kindly Light, Singh, Sugar Plum Time, and Versailles Treaty.
Oct. 29 -- Sam Dana, 104, who played football alongside Lou Gehrig at Columbia. The running back broke into the then fledgling NFL in 1926 with the Hartford Blues.
Oct. 30 -- John Woodruff, 92, a gold medal winner at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Woodruff joined Jesse Owens as black Americans who won gold medals in the face of Adolf Hitler and his "master race" agenda. He won the 800 meters using one of the most astonishing tactics in Olympic history. Boxed in by the pack of slow-paced runners, he literally stopped in his tracks, then moved to the third lane and passed everyone.
Oct. 31 -- John H. Baker Jr., 72, former NFL defensive lineman. Baker spent 11 years in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. He may be best known for his 1964 tackle of New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle, who was photographed sitting bloody in the end zone.
Nov. 2 -- Lillian Ellison, 84, professional wrestling's Fabulous Moolah. She was a longtime champion and the first woman inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Nov. 2 -- Don Freeland, 82, drove in the Indianapolis 500 eight times and finished third in 1956.
Nov. 3 -- Ryan Shay, a 28-year-old elite runner, collapsed and later died at the U.S. men's marathon Olympic trials in New York.
Nov. 3 -- George Ratterman, 80, backup quarterback to Frank Dancewicz in 1945 and to Johnny Lujack when Notre Dame won the national championship in 1946. With the Buffalo Bills of the All-America Football Conference, Ratterman led the league with 22 touchdown passes as a rookie in 1947. He played professionally until 1956.
Nov. 5 -- Nils Liedholm, 85, a Swedish soccer star who became a title-winning soccer coach in Italy. Liedholm made 23 international appearances for Sweden, helping his country win the gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics. He was on the 1958 World Cup team in Sweden that reached the final but lost to Brazil. He played for AC Milan from 1949-61. After retiring, Liedholm moved into coaching and picked up the nickname Il Barone (The Baron). He guided AS Roma for 12 seasons and Milan for eight, winning five trophies, including two league titles -- in 1979 with Milan and in 1983 with Roma. He coached Fiorentina, Verona, Varese and Monza before retiring in 1997.
Nov. 11 -- Dick Nolan, 75, former coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Nolan played nine NFL seasons before becoming a coach. Nolan went 71-85-3 in nearly 11 seasons with San Francisco and New Orleans. He led the 49ers to three division titles and two conference championship games in eight years with the club.
Nov. 13 -- Robert Taylor, 59, a sprinter who won gold and silver medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Taylor was a member of the 400-meter relay team that won the gold medal in Munich. He finished second in the 100.
Nov. 14 -- Hansel Tookes, 86, former Florida A&M athletic director. Tookes coached the offensive and defensive lines for legendary coach Jake Gaither before becoming the school's athletic director in 1973.
Nov. 14 -- John Doherty, 72, a member of the Manchester United team that won the 1956 English league title.
Nov. 16 -- Joe Nuxhall, 79, the youngest player in major league history and the beloved "old left-hander" on Cincinnati Reds radio broadcasts. Nuxhall, at 15 years, 10 months, 11 days old, got a chance to pitch in relief for the Reds on June 10, 1944. He got two outs against St. Louis before losing his composure, then went eight years before pitching for the Reds again.
Nov. 18 -- Ellen Mueller-Preis, 95, winner of a gold medal in fencing at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. Mueller-Preis represented Austria at the 1932 Olympics. Mueller-Preis won bronze medals at the 1936 Berlin Games and the 1948 London Olympics. She also won fencing world titles in 1947, '49 and '50.
Nov. 19 -- Jim Ringo, 75, a Hall of Fame center who played 15 seasons for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. Ringo was voted to 10 Pro Bowls and was chosen for the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He started in a then-record 182 consecutive games from 1954-67.
Nov. 21 -- Tom Johnson, 79, Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman who coached the Boston Bruins to their last Stanley Cup title in 1972. Johnson played 15 years for Montreal, helping the Canadiens win six Stanley Cups -- including five straight from 1956-60. He also won the 1958-59 Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.
Nov. 23 -- Joe Kennedy, 28, a journeyman left-hander who pitched for three major league teams last season. Kennedy spent seven years in the majors, playing last season with Oakland, Arizona and Toronto.
Nov. 26 -- Herb McKenley, 85, a Jamaican track legend who was one of the first two people from a Caribbean country to win an Olympic medal. McKenley was also the first man to cover the 400 meters in under 46 seconds. In 1948, he and fellow Jamaican Arthur Wint -- who took home the gold -- won the first Olympic medals for the Caribbean. He won a silver medal in the 100 meters and was a member of the Jamaican team that won the 4X400-meter relay at the 1952 games in Helsinki, Finland.
Nov. 26 -- Bill Hartack, 74, Hall of Fame jockey and one of only two people to win the Kentucky Derby five times. Hartack won his first Derby with Iron Liege in 1957. He then won with Venetian Way in 1960, Decidedly in 1962, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. Hartack rode until 1974 and had 4,272 wins from 21,535 mounts. He won the Preakness aboard Fabius in 1956, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. He won the Belmont Stakes once, with Celtic Ash in 1960.
Nov. 27 -- Sean Taylor, 24, Washington Redskins safety, died from injuries sustained when he was shot in the leg ad day earlier in his home by an intruder.
Nov. 27 -- Dr. J. Robert Cade, 80, inventor of the sports drink Gatorade and launched a multibillion-dollar industry that the beverage continues to dominate.
Nov. 27 -- Bill Willis, 86, a Hall of Fame guard with the Cleveland Browns who also was Ohio State's first black football All-American. Willis was an All-American in 1943 and 1944. He had a distinguished career with the Browns (1946-53), helping to break the color barrier in professional football.
Nov. 29 -- Ralph Beard, 79, an All-American guard for Kentucky in the 1940s and a key figure in one of college basketball's biggest betting scandals. Beard helped the Wildcats win national championships in 1948 and 1949 under coach Adolph Rupp. Beard was among Rupp's famed "Fab Five," along with Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Cliff Barker and Kenny Rollins. He played in the NBA's first All-Star game in 1951. Before the start of the 1952 season, Beard and Groza were among several players involved in a point-shaving scandal that rocked college basketball. They received suspended sentences, but were banned for life from the NBA.
Nov. 29 -- Tommy Kron, 64, a starter on Kentucky's "Rupp's Runts" team in the 1960s. Coach Adolph Rupp's Runts reached the NCAA national championship game in 1966 but lost to Texas Western. Kron also helped lead the team to Southeastern Conference championships in 1964 and '66 and was a two-time All-SEC player.
Dec. 1 -- Ken McGregor, 78, winner of the Australian Open singles title in 1952 and was part of a Grand Slam doubles sweep with Frank Sedgman in 1951. McGregor also played on three winning Davis Cup teams for Australia.
Dec. 4 -- Jake Gaudaur, 87, a player, executive and commissioner in the Canadian Football League. Gaudaur won Grey Cups as a player with Toronto and Hamilton. He raised the profile of CFL while commissioner from 1968 to 1984.
Dec. 10 -- George Morris, 76, a star linebacker during Georgia Tech's perfect season in 1952 and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was an SEC football official from 1960-89.
Dec. 14 -- Hank Kaplan, 88, Hall of Fame boxing historian. Kaplan, who left behind archives that dated to the 1800s, was founder and editor of World Wide Boxing Digest Magazine.
Dec. 17 -- Don Chevrier, 69, a longtime broadcaster who called several Olympics and the Toronto Blue Jays' first game.
Dec. 18 -- Ken Lennox, 88, a former racing director at Monmouth Park who worked at the track for more than 40 years.
Dec. 20 -- Tommy Byrne, 87, the losing pitcher, 2-0 to Johnny Podres and the Brooklyn Dodgers, in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series. Byrne pitched a complete-game victory in Game 2 of that series.
Dec. 23 -- Dale Baird, 72, the winningest thoroughbred trainer with more than 9,400 victories, died in an automobile crash.
Associated Press
Article Launched: 12/31/2007 10:28:34 PM MST
May 3 -- Tiny L. Laster Jr., 61, Hampton University women's coach who led the softball team to a regular-season championship on May 1. Laster, who took over as the Lady Pirates softball coach in 1989, compiled a career record of 535-300-1. He also had a 215-250 record in 13 years as volleyball coach, and a 139-67 record as Hampton's women's basketball coach.
May 3 -- Alex Agase, 85, three-time All-American and College Football Hall of Fame member who coached at Northwestern and Purdue. A guard and linebacker, Agase was an All-American at Illinois in 1942 and at Purdue in
1943 after transferring to train for the Marines. He returned to Illinois after World War II and earned All-America honors again in 1946.
May 5 -- Tom Hutchinson, 65, former wide receiver who played on the 1964 Cleveland Browns team that won the NFL championship.
May 7 -- Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29, boxer who died in a high-speed motorcycle crash in Las Vegas. Corrales, who fought most of his career at 130 pounds, was a big puncher best known for getting up after two 10th-round knockdowns to stop Jose Luis Castillo on May 7, 2005. Boxing Writers Association of America and numerous boxing publications called it the fight of the year.
May 9 -- Gino Pariani, 79, player for the United States on the 1950 soccer team that produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Pariani was part of the mostly amateur team that jolted the soccer world with its 1-0 defeat of powerful England in Brazil.
May
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9 -- Charley Ane, 76, standout tackle for Southern California in the early 1950s and an All-Pro lineman for the Detroit Lions. In seven years with Detroit, he was an All-Pro center-tackle and a member of the Lions' 1953 and 1957 NFL champs, and was team captain in 1958-59.May 13 -- Gomer Hodge, 63, member of the 1971 Cleveland Indians.
May 14 -- Jean Saubert, 65, winner of two skiing medals for the United States at the 1964 Olympics. Saubert shared a silver medal in the giant slalom and won a bronze in the slalom at the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
May 16 -- DeAndre Adams, 20, Winthrop basketball player died four days after sustaining head injuries in a car accident.
May 17 -- John Gonzaga, 74, former NFL lineman who was working in a steel mill when he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 1956. Gonzaga played for four teams over 11 seasons.
May 20 -- Norman Von Nida, 93, former Australian Open champion who won more than 80 titles worldwide and was a trailblazer for Australian golf.
May 21 -- Sam Kagel, 98, the mediator who helped resolve the 1982 NFL strike.
May 26 -- Howard Porter, 58, one of the best players in Villanova basketball history, who led the Wildcats to the 1971 NCAA championship game. The Wildcats lost to UCLA 68-62, but Porter was voted the tournament's outstanding player.
May 26 -- Gene Gibson, 82, coach of the Texas Tech men's basketball team from 1961-69. He compiled a 101-91 overall record.
May 28 -- Marquise Hill, 24, a defensive end for the New England Patriots died in a a jet ski accident on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana.
May 29 -- Dave Balon, 68, member of 1965 and 1966 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Balon scored 192 goals and 222 assists in a a 14-year NHL career. Between 1968 and 1972, Balon played with center Walt Tkaczuk and right wing Bill Fairbairn to form the New York Rangers' Bulldog Line. He led New York with 33 goals in 1969-70 and 36 in 1970-71.
May 31 -- Janice-Lee Romary, 79, a fencer who competed in six consecutive Olympics and was the first woman to carry the U.S. flag during opening ceremonies. Romary competed in the Olympics from 1948 until 1968. Her total of 10 U.S. foil championships is the most of any man or woman. Romary carried the flag at her final Olympics, the 1968 games at Mexico City.
June 1 -- Dave Smalley, 72, coach of the men's and women's basketball teams at Navy during more than 50 years in sports at the academy. Navy's basketball court is named for Smalley, who coached the men's team from 1966-76. He then began shepherding the women's basketball program into existence, coaching the women from 1977-89.
June 4 -- Clete Boyer, 70, third baseman for the champion New York Yankees teams of the 1960s who made an art form of diving stops and throws from his knees. Boyer played from 1955-71 with the Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Atlanta.
June 4 -- Bill France Jr., 74, former chairman of NASCAR. France transformed NASCAR from a small Southern sport into a billion-dollar conglomerate during his 31 years (1972-2003) as chairman.
June 10 -- Jim Killingsworth, 83, former TCU men's basketball coach. Killingsworth took over a struggling TCU basketball team in the 1980s and compiled a 130-106 record in eight seasons.
June 11 -- Vern Hoscheit, 85, a coach on four World Series championship teams with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets. Hoscheit was a coach from 1969-74 with the A's, earning World Series rings in his final three seasons. Hoscheit was the Mets' bullpen coach from 1984-87.
June 11 -- Ray Mears, 80, the Tennessee basketball coach who presided over the "Ernie and Bernie show" during his 15 seasons. In the mid-1970s, Mears coached future NBA players Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. Mears' teams went 278-112 at Tennessee between 1962 and 1978.
June 12 -- Jim Norton, 68, a four-time AFL All-Star safety and an original member of the Houston Oilers. Norton retired in 1969 after playing nine seasons with the Oilers, and was the franchise leader with 45 interceptions up to his death.
June 19 -- Terry Hoeppner, 59, Indiana football coach. Hoeppner, who compiled a record of 48-25 at Miami of Ohio before going to Indiana, died just two seasons into rebuilding the Hoosiers' program.
June 20 -- Jim Shoulders, 79, winner of 16 world championships, the most of any rodeo cowboy, and a charter member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
June 22 -- Ralph J. Morano, 74, a longtime trainer and driver who made a second career fighting for harness horsemen's rights as the track representative at The Meadowlands. Morano trained and drove horses from his own stable, amassing 195 wins, 185 seconds and 240 thirds from 1,628 starts from 1967 to 1979.
June 23 -- Rod Beck, 38, a three All-Star relief pitcher who earned 286 career saves. Nicknamed "Shooter," Beck pitched for San Francisco (1991-97), the Chicago Cubs (1998-99) and the Boston Red Sox (1999-2001) before finishing his career with San Diego (2003-04).
June 24 -- Fritz Massmann, 80, former head trainer for the New Jersey Nets for more than 20 years -- including the team's American Basketball Association heyday.
June 25 -- Chris Benoit, 40, a WWE wrestler who was a former world heavyweight and Intercontinental champion. Benoit was found dead in his home in a murder-suicide of his wife and 7-year-old son.
June 26 -- Jupp Derwall, 80, coach of Germany's soccer team which won the European title in 1980 and was runner-up at the 1982 World Cup.
June 26 -- Bobby Hussey, 67, former head basketball coach at Virginia Tech and Davidson. Hussey won 310 games in his coaching career, including 179 at Belmont Abbey where he worked for 10 seasons.
June 26 -- Pam Smith, 47, Wittenberg University's most successful women's basketball coach. In 21 seasons at her alma mater, she had a 401-170 record and led Wittenberg to seven NCAC conference tournament championships.
June 29 -- Elmer Gross, 90, the coach of Penn State's basketball team that went to the 1954 Final Four. He played three seasons at Penn State, and was the Nittany Lions' leading scorer in his final season in 1942. Gross returned to Penn State in 1945 as an assistant and took over as head coach in 1950, guiding Penn State to the NCAAs in 1952 and 1954 before retiring after five seasons.
July 2 -- Jimmy Walker, 63, former Providence All-American and a first-round NBA draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1967. Walker led the nation in scoring in 1967 as a senior, averaging more than 30 points a game. Walker, who played nine seasons in the NBA with Detroit, Houston and Kansas City, averaged 16.7 points per game for his career, including a high of 21.3 in 1971-72.
July 2 -- Al Williams, 60, a member of Drake's 1969 NCAA Final Four team and one of the school's all-time leading rebounders. Williams played for the Bulldogs from 1967-70 and left as Drake's career rebounding leader with an 8.6 average.
July 9 -- Kenneth A. MacAfee, 77, pro football player for the New York Giants from 1954-58.
July 10 -- Francis "Bucko" Kilroy, 86, a former New England Patriots executive who was known throughout the league as a top talent scout. Kilroy was a six-time All-Pro guard for the Philadelphia Eagles during a 13-season playing career in the 1940s and 50s. During a 64-season NFL career, including 36 years with the Patriots, Kilroy also worked in player personnel and scouting for the Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, and mentored others who went on to lead NFL scouting departments.
July 11 -- Jimmy Skinner, 90, former Detroit Red Wings coach. Skinner led a team starring Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay to the Stanley Cup in 1955, his first year as coach. Skinner coached the team through 38 games of the 1957-58 season, when the Wings replaced him with Sid Abel.
July 11 -- Shag Crawford, 90, longtime major league umpire. Born Henry Charles Crawford, Shag called more than 3,000 games as a National League umpire from 1956-75. He worked the World Series three times, the NL championship series twice and handled three All-Star games.
July 11 -- Larry Staverman, 70, the first coach of the Indiana Pacers when they started as an ABA franchise in 1967.
July 14 -- John Ferguson Sr., 68, former NHL player and general manager. Ferguson played eight NHL seasons from 1963-71, all with the Montreal Canadiens, and was a Stanley Cup champion five times. Ferguson was general manager and coach of the New York Rangers for two tumultuous years until 1978 and general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, both in the WHA and NHL, from 1979-88, briefly serving as coach.
July 16 -- Dick Ault, 81, a former Olympian and University of Missouri track star. Ault placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1948 Olympics in London and tied the world record in the 440-yard hurdles at a 1949 meet in Oslo, Norway. He spent nearly 30 years at Westminster College, coaching track, cross country, golf and swimming.
July 18 -- Jerry Schneider, 87, builder of the first indoor tennis facility. Schneider established the North Shore Racquet Club in 1961 in the Chicago suburb of Glenview.
July 20 -- Bill Flemming, 80, a longtime ABC Sports broadcaster who covered events as varied as the Olympics, college football and cliff diving. Flemming also reported on more than 600 events for ABC's "Wide World of Sports."
July 22 -- Rollie Stiles, 100, former St. Louis Brown pitcher. Stiles pitched for the Browns in 1930, 1931 and 1933, compiling a 9-14 record with a 5.92 earned run average.
July 22 -- Mike Coolbaugh, 35, a coach with the Tulsa Drillers, died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game in Arkansas.
July 26 -- Skip Prosser, 56, Wake Forest basketball coach. Prosser spent six seasons with the Demon Deacons and led the team to the program's first No. 1 national ranking during the 2004-05 season. Before arriving in Winston-Salem, Prosser was head coach at Xavier for seven seasons and at Loyola of Maryland for one year. Prosser had a career record of 291-146 in 14 seasons, including 126-68 with Wake Forest.
July 29 -- Jim David, 79, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive back who won three NFL championships with the Detroit Lions. The Lions won NFL championships in 1952, '53 and '57, with David as a starter.
July 29 -- Bill Robinson, 64, a major league baseball player from 1966 to 1983. Robinson, who played on Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series championship team, was an outfielder for Atlanta, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
July 30 -- Bill Walsh, 75, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh went 102-63-1 in 10 seasons with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles.
July 31 -- Kerry Brown, 35, an assistant coach for the Green Bay Blizzard of arenafootball2, died after his truck ran into a ditch in Kaukauna, Wis. He played nine seasons in the AFL as a receiver and linebacker.
Aug. 2 -- Ed Brown, 78, a former NFL quarterback and a leader of the University of San Francisco's undefeated 1951 team. Brown played 12 NFL seasons, including eight with the Chicago Bears and nearly four more with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aug. 7 -- Miklos Pancsics, 63, a defender who won a soccer gold medal with Hungary at the 1968 Olympics and helped his Ferencvaros club win three Hungarian league titles.
Aug. 7 -- Gato Del Sol, 28, the winner of the 1982 Kentucky Derby.
Aug. 7 -- Willie Booker, 65, former Florida A&M basketball coach. Booker led the Rattlers to their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament title in 1991 and had a 137-125 record from 1984-1993.
Aug. 9 -- Warren Stute, 85, a longtime Southern California trainer who gave Bill Shoemaker a leg up in the Hall of Fame jockey's first $100,000 stakes win in 1951. Stute's career spanned nearly 70 years. Stute went 51 years between victories in the Del Mar Debutante. He saddled the race's first winner, Tonga, in 1951. He won again in 2002 with Miss Houdini.
Aug. 13 -- Phil Rizzuto, 89, the New York Yankees shortstop during their dynasty years of the 1940s and 1950s, who was popular as a player and beloved as a broadcaster. At 5-foot-6, he played over his head, winning seven World Series titles and an AL MVP award and becoming a five-time All-Star.
Aug. 15 -- Sam Pollock, 81, vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1960s and 1970s. As the architect of the Canadiens dynasties, Pollock won nine Stanley Cup titles during his tenure as general manager from the 1964-65 season to 1978.
Aug. 17 -- Eddie Griffin, 25, the former Seton Hall star and five-year NBA veteran died when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in a fiery crash in Houston.
Aug. 20 -- William "Wild Bill" Hagy, 68, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium.
Aug. 20 -- Burr Baldwin, 85, the first UCLA football player to be named a consensus All-American. Baldwin, who played end for the Bruins, earned all-America honors in 1946 when he led his team with 18 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns.
Aug. 22 -- Butch van Breda Kolff, 84, a college coach for 28 years who also coached the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA finals appearances. He posted a 482-272 coaching record in the college ranks, and was 287-316 in 10 seasons as an NBA and ABA coach. He coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1967-69, and lost to the Boston Celtics both times in the finals.
Aug. 25 -- Jack Leonard, 89, a boxing trainer who was attacked after refusing to turn a champion fighter's contract to the mob in the early 1950s. He later testified before a federal grand jury about those who had approached him, and eight people eventually were sent to prison.
Aug. 26 -- Tommy Spinks, 58, former Louisiana Tech All-American wide receiver who teamed with Terry Bradshaw to form one of the most feared tandems in college football.
Aug. 26 -- Charles Albert "Chuck" Comiskey II, 81, grandson and namesake of the Chicago White Sox founder and a former front-office executive and co-owner during the "Go Go Sox" years in the 1950s.
Aug. 27 -- Julian William "Tex" Robertson, 98, former University of Texas swim coach. Robertson served as the Texas men's swimming and diving coach from 1936-1943 and from 1946-50. The Longhorns won 13 Southwest Conference championships during his career.
Aug. 28 -- Rodger DeGarmo Jr., 38, USA Weightlifting executive director.
Aug. 30 -- Leonard Coffman, 90, the last surviving starter on Tennessee's 1939 football team. Coffman, a fullback, played on the undefeated 1938 team that won a national championship and on the 1939 team that didn't allow a single point until losing to USC 14-0 in the Rose Bowl.
Aug. 31 -- Gay Brewer, 75, the 1967 Masters champion and 11-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Sept. 1 -- Russell Ellington, 69, a college basketball coach who also coached the Harlem Globetrotters. Ellington accumulated a 894-212 record while coaching basketball for more than 40 years, including stints with Savannah State College, Savannah Tech and Morris Brown. Ellington was best known nationally for his stint touring with the Globetrotters from 1984-93.
Sept. 1 -- Viliam Schrojf, 76, goalkeeper who helped Czechoslovakia reach the final of soccer's 1962 World Cup. At the 1962 World Cup in Chile, Czechoslovakia lost 3-1 to Brazil in the final.
Sept. 2 -- Max McNab, 83, a player and general manager of two NHL teams in a nearly 50-year hockey career. McNab won the Stanley Cup as a player with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950. McNab was the general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1975-81. He joined the New Jersey Devils as vice president of hockey operations the following season and served as general manager from 1983-87.
Sept. 3 -- Clarke Bynum, 45, former Clemson basketball player from 1980-84.
Sept. 8 -- Dennis Storer, 75, founder of the soccer and rugby programs at UCLA.
Sept. 10 -- Ted Stepien, 82, former Cleveland Cavaliers owner whose propensity for trading away draft picks resulted in an NBA rule change. The Cavaliers went 66-180, dropped to the bottom of the league in attendance and lost $15 million during Stepien's three years of ownership.
Sept. 15 -- Colin McRae, 39, winner of 25 races in a World Rally Championship career that ran from 1987 to 2004.
Sept. 16 -- Garrard "Buster" Ramsey, 87, the first coach of the Buffalo Bills. Ramsey played guard at William and Mary, where he was the school's first All-American. He was part of the Chicago Cardinals' team that won the 1947 championship. In 1959, he became coach of the newly formed Bills team of the old AFL, where he was 11-16-1 in two seasons before being fired in 1962.
Sept. 16 -- Louis J. Willie Jr., 84, a black businessman who helped defuse a racial dispute surrounding the 1990 PGA Championship by becoming an honorary member at the all-white Shoal Creek club in suburban Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 17 -- Martha Gerry, 88, chairman emeritus of the board of trustees of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Gerry bred and owned three-time Horse of the Year Forego.
Sept. 18 -- Nate Hill, 41, former four-year letterman at Auburn who was drafted by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 1988.
Sept. 26 -- William Wirtz, 77, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks for more than four decades. The family, led by Arthur Wirtz, purchased the Chicago Blackhawks in 1954. Wirtz was chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Hockey League for 18 years and helped negotiate the merger of the NHL and the World Hockey Association in the late 1970's.
Sept. 28 -- Wally Parks, 94, an automobile enthusiast who founded the National Hot Rod Association in 1951.
Oct. 1 -- Al Oerter, 71, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics (1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968). Oerter and Carl Lewis are the only track and field stars to capture the same event in four consecutive Olympics. Oerter, however, is the only one to set an Olympic record in each of his victories.
Oct. 1 -- Taylor Bradford, 21, a University of Memphis football player was fatally shot on campus.
Oct. 2 -- Dewitt "Tex" Coulter, 83, former New York Giants tackle. Coulter was an All-American on Army's 1945 national championship team. He played left tackle for the Giants from 1946-1952 and made the All-Pro team in 1948 and 1949.
Oct. 5 -- Edwyn "Bob" Owen, 71, a player on the 1960 team that won the first Olympic gold medal in hockey for the United States.
Oct. 8 -- John Henry, 32, thoroughbred great and two-time Horse of the Year who earned more than $6.5 million. John Henry was the highest earning thoroughbred in history when he was retired in 1985.
Oct. 13 -- Alec Kessler, 40, a Georgia basketball star who played four seasons for the Miami Heat. During his senior season, Georgia won its only SEC basketball title.
Oct. 14 -- Slew o'Gold, 27, a champion 3-year-old colt who went on to sire 28 stakes winners. Slew o'Gold won 12 of 21 starts during his three-year racing career, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Wood Memorial in 1983. He won the Gold Cup again in 1984.
Oct. 20 -- Max McGee, 75, the unexpected hero of the first Super Bowl. Inserted into Packers' lineup when Boyd Dowler was sidelined by a shoulder injury, McGee went on to catch the first touchdown pass in Super Bowl history in Green Bay's 35-10 victory over Kansas City in January 1967. Still hung over from a night on the town, McGee caught seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Oct. 20 -- Jim Mitchell, 60, a Pro Bowl tight end for the Atlanta Falcons. Mitchell played for the Falcons from 1969-79 and was named to the Pro Bowl following the 1969 and 1972 seasons.
Oct. 20 -- Bob Packard, 64, the winningest football coach at Baldwin-Wallace. Packard, who retired in 2001, went 156-54-2.
Oct. 24 -- Cynthia Phipps, 62, thoroughbred owner and breeder. Among stakes winners campaigned by Phipps were Christmas Past, champion 3-year-old filly in 1982, Gold Fever, Lead Kindly Light, Singh, Sugar Plum Time, and Versailles Treaty.
Oct. 29 -- Sam Dana, 104, who played football alongside Lou Gehrig at Columbia. The running back broke into the then fledgling NFL in 1926 with the Hartford Blues.
Oct. 30 -- John Woodruff, 92, a gold medal winner at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Woodruff joined Jesse Owens as black Americans who won gold medals in the face of Adolf Hitler and his "master race" agenda. He won the 800 meters using one of the most astonishing tactics in Olympic history. Boxed in by the pack of slow-paced runners, he literally stopped in his tracks, then moved to the third lane and passed everyone.
Oct. 31 -- John H. Baker Jr., 72, former NFL defensive lineman. Baker spent 11 years in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. He may be best known for his 1964 tackle of New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle, who was photographed sitting bloody in the end zone.
Nov. 2 -- Lillian Ellison, 84, professional wrestling's Fabulous Moolah. She was a longtime champion and the first woman inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Nov. 2 -- Don Freeland, 82, drove in the Indianapolis 500 eight times and finished third in 1956.
Nov. 3 -- Ryan Shay, a 28-year-old elite runner, collapsed and later died at the U.S. men's marathon Olympic trials in New York.
Nov. 3 -- George Ratterman, 80, backup quarterback to Frank Dancewicz in 1945 and to Johnny Lujack when Notre Dame won the national championship in 1946. With the Buffalo Bills of the All-America Football Conference, Ratterman led the league with 22 touchdown passes as a rookie in 1947. He played professionally until 1956.
Nov. 5 -- Nils Liedholm, 85, a Swedish soccer star who became a title-winning soccer coach in Italy. Liedholm made 23 international appearances for Sweden, helping his country win the gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics. He was on the 1958 World Cup team in Sweden that reached the final but lost to Brazil. He played for AC Milan from 1949-61. After retiring, Liedholm moved into coaching and picked up the nickname Il Barone (The Baron). He guided AS Roma for 12 seasons and Milan for eight, winning five trophies, including two league titles -- in 1979 with Milan and in 1983 with Roma. He coached Fiorentina, Verona, Varese and Monza before retiring in 1997.
Nov. 11 -- Dick Nolan, 75, former coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Nolan played nine NFL seasons before becoming a coach. Nolan went 71-85-3 in nearly 11 seasons with San Francisco and New Orleans. He led the 49ers to three division titles and two conference championship games in eight years with the club.
Nov. 13 -- Robert Taylor, 59, a sprinter who won gold and silver medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Taylor was a member of the 400-meter relay team that won the gold medal in Munich. He finished second in the 100.
Nov. 14 -- Hansel Tookes, 86, former Florida A&M athletic director. Tookes coached the offensive and defensive lines for legendary coach Jake Gaither before becoming the school's athletic director in 1973.
Nov. 14 -- John Doherty, 72, a member of the Manchester United team that won the 1956 English league title.
Nov. 16 -- Joe Nuxhall, 79, the youngest player in major league history and the beloved "old left-hander" on Cincinnati Reds radio broadcasts. Nuxhall, at 15 years, 10 months, 11 days old, got a chance to pitch in relief for the Reds on June 10, 1944. He got two outs against St. Louis before losing his composure, then went eight years before pitching for the Reds again.
Nov. 18 -- Ellen Mueller-Preis, 95, winner of a gold medal in fencing at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. Mueller-Preis represented Austria at the 1932 Olympics. Mueller-Preis won bronze medals at the 1936 Berlin Games and the 1948 London Olympics. She also won fencing world titles in 1947, '49 and '50.
Nov. 19 -- Jim Ringo, 75, a Hall of Fame center who played 15 seasons for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. Ringo was voted to 10 Pro Bowls and was chosen for the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He started in a then-record 182 consecutive games from 1954-67.
Nov. 21 -- Tom Johnson, 79, Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman who coached the Boston Bruins to their last Stanley Cup title in 1972. Johnson played 15 years for Montreal, helping the Canadiens win six Stanley Cups -- including five straight from 1956-60. He also won the 1958-59 Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.
Nov. 23 -- Joe Kennedy, 28, a journeyman left-hander who pitched for three major league teams last season. Kennedy spent seven years in the majors, playing last season with Oakland, Arizona and Toronto.
Nov. 26 -- Herb McKenley, 85, a Jamaican track legend who was one of the first two people from a Caribbean country to win an Olympic medal. McKenley was also the first man to cover the 400 meters in under 46 seconds. In 1948, he and fellow Jamaican Arthur Wint -- who took home the gold -- won the first Olympic medals for the Caribbean. He won a silver medal in the 100 meters and was a member of the Jamaican team that won the 4X400-meter relay at the 1952 games in Helsinki, Finland.
Nov. 26 -- Bill Hartack, 74, Hall of Fame jockey and one of only two people to win the Kentucky Derby five times. Hartack won his first Derby with Iron Liege in 1957. He then won with Venetian Way in 1960, Decidedly in 1962, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. Hartack rode until 1974 and had 4,272 wins from 21,535 mounts. He won the Preakness aboard Fabius in 1956, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. He won the Belmont Stakes once, with Celtic Ash in 1960.
Nov. 27 -- Sean Taylor, 24, Washington Redskins safety, died from injuries sustained when he was shot in the leg ad day earlier in his home by an intruder.
Nov. 27 -- Dr. J. Robert Cade, 80, inventor of the sports drink Gatorade and launched a multibillion-dollar industry that the beverage continues to dominate.
Nov. 27 -- Bill Willis, 86, a Hall of Fame guard with the Cleveland Browns who also was Ohio State's first black football All-American. Willis was an All-American in 1943 and 1944. He had a distinguished career with the Browns (1946-53), helping to break the color barrier in professional football.
Nov. 29 -- Ralph Beard, 79, an All-American guard for Kentucky in the 1940s and a key figure in one of college basketball's biggest betting scandals. Beard helped the Wildcats win national championships in 1948 and 1949 under coach Adolph Rupp. Beard was among Rupp's famed "Fab Five," along with Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Cliff Barker and Kenny Rollins. He played in the NBA's first All-Star game in 1951. Before the start of the 1952 season, Beard and Groza were among several players involved in a point-shaving scandal that rocked college basketball. They received suspended sentences, but were banned for life from the NBA.
Nov. 29 -- Tommy Kron, 64, a starter on Kentucky's "Rupp's Runts" team in the 1960s. Coach Adolph Rupp's Runts reached the NCAA national championship game in 1966 but lost to Texas Western. Kron also helped lead the team to Southeastern Conference championships in 1964 and '66 and was a two-time All-SEC player.
Dec. 1 -- Ken McGregor, 78, winner of the Australian Open singles title in 1952 and was part of a Grand Slam doubles sweep with Frank Sedgman in 1951. McGregor also played on three winning Davis Cup teams for Australia.
Dec. 4 -- Jake Gaudaur, 87, a player, executive and commissioner in the Canadian Football League. Gaudaur won Grey Cups as a player with Toronto and Hamilton. He raised the profile of CFL while commissioner from 1968 to 1984.
Dec. 10 -- George Morris, 76, a star linebacker during Georgia Tech's perfect season in 1952 and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was an SEC football official from 1960-89.
Dec. 14 -- Hank Kaplan, 88, Hall of Fame boxing historian. Kaplan, who left behind archives that dated to the 1800s, was founder and editor of World Wide Boxing Digest Magazine.
Dec. 17 -- Don Chevrier, 69, a longtime broadcaster who called several Olympics and the Toronto Blue Jays' first game.
Dec. 18 -- Ken Lennox, 88, a former racing director at Monmouth Park who worked at the track for more than 40 years.
Dec. 20 -- Tommy Byrne, 87, the losing pitcher, 2-0 to Johnny Podres and the Brooklyn Dodgers, in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series. Byrne pitched a complete-game victory in Game 2 of that series.
Dec. 23 -- Dale Baird, 72, the winningest thoroughbred trainer with more than 9,400 victories, died in an automobile crash.