I reserve a late post each year for us all to remember those AFL personalities who passed away in the past year. Sadly, we lost many great athletes and men in 2015. Please take a moment to remember the following men, and if you have a story about one-or-more of them, please share it in the comments section below.
January 1 – Bill Keating – Defensive Tackle – Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins – 1966-1967
February 10 – Bill Enyart – Running Back/Linebacker – Buffalo Bills – 1969
February 11 – Gary Glick – Defensive Back – San Diego Chargers – 1963
February 13 – Jim McCusker – Tackle – New York Jets – 1964
February 14 – Jack O. Davis – Guard – Denver Broncos – 1960
April 4 – Dick Wood – Quarterback – Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins – 1962-1966
April 6 – Art Powell – Receiver – New York Titans, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills – 1960-1967
April 18 – LaVerne Torczon – Defensive Line – Buffalo Bills, New York Titans/Jets, Miami Dolphins – 1960-1966
May 4 – Marv Hubbard – Running Back – Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions – 1969-1975, 1977
August 15 – Gordon Holz – Tackle/Defensive Tackle – Denver Broncos, New York Jets – 1960-1964
September 19 – Bill Larson – Fullback – Boston Patriots – 1960
October 9 – Tom Goode – Center/Linebacker – Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Colts – 1962-1970
October 12 – Paul Costa – Linebacker/Tackle – Buffalo Bills – 1965-1972
October 17 – Houston Ridge – Defensive Tackle/End – San Diego Chargers – 1966-1969
November 3 – Chuck Hurston – Defensive End – Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs – 1965-1971
November 26 – Tom Dublinski – Quarterback – Denver Broncos – 1960
November 26 – George Pyne – Defensive Tackle – Boston Patriots – 1965
May all these football pioneers who helped form the AFL rest in peace.
Chuck Hurston, the last member of the Chiefs 1966 Superbowl 1 starting defensive line now gone. Standing 6’5 and change, he got sick leading up to that game & dropped down to 210-220 lbs. depending on source, rb/kicker weight today. He joins former KC line-mates Jerry Mays, Buck Buchanan, Aaron Brown & reserve Hatch Rosdahl on the ‘other side’ of the field.
Also for the record, another former AFL player died in 2015 who isn’t listed above: he is former Raiders DE ‘Ike’ Lassiter who passed away February 15th, joining Dan Birdwell, Ben Davidson and Tom Keating in Silver & Black d-line Heaven.
Undoubtedly there are also other players that haven’t been listed due lack of information. I was happy to contribute to a section of Ange Coniglio’s fine website ‘Remember the AFL’, a great source for the AFL and those players fallen. It too isn’t totally inclusive but is perhaps the best place to find most of those we know of who have passed on:
http://www.remembertheafl.com/AFLDecedents.htm + R.I.P. +
For the record, two other Chiefs d-linemen DT Andy Rice & DT Ed Lothamer are still here on this side of the gridiron. One other mention: it is affirmed that the bigger players do seem to exit this mortal coil sooner than the smaller players in general, defensive and offensive lineman.
I completely missed Ike Lassiter. I will have to do some digging. Thanks for the heads up!
Ange’s site is fantastic. I also try to keep a running track of player deaths on this site. You will find it here: https://talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/all-time-league-roster-2/
I had the opportunity to talk with Art Powell a few days before he died. His voice was strong, his humor crisp and his spirits high. He was one of the friendliest and nicest players I have spoken to. We spoke for a long time and discussed everything from him teaching his grand daughters how to play baseball to his love for the Philadelphia Phillies to his admiration for his fellow AFL players. I thoroughly enjoyed the times I was able to spend on the phone with him and listen to his AFL stories. He is truly a Hall of Fame player and person.
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Info here on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Info to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Information here to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you can find 5473 additional Info on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you can find 19922 additional Info to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Info on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 42030 additional Information to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More here to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Info here on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Info to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you can find 67348 more Information on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Information here to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Information on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 49654 additional Info on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Info to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Information to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More here on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Info to that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Information here on that Topic: talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/afl-in-memoriam-2015/ […]