Football is one of the most loved sports around the world and throughout its history, there have been many instances where players who were active in the league sadly lost their lives. The deaths of these renowned individuals have left a space in the hearts of many. So, in this article, we will tell you about 43 football players who tragically died while they were still active in their particular league and how their deaths have left a remarkable impression on this loved sport.
Ralph Anderson
Ralph Anderson is the first player to have earned a place in the list of NFL players who died while still active in their league. He was an American football player who played college football for Santa Monica College before starting his professional career. In the 1958 NFL draft, he was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round. However, in November 1960, he passed away due to diabetic complications when his girlfriend found him unresponsive. She tried to wake him up, but her efforts were not successful. At the time of his death, Anderson was just 25 years old.
Jeff Burkett
He was a football player from America who was known for his exceptional skills and abilities. In the 1947 National Football League draft, he was selected by the Chicago Cardinals. In the same year, he became part of the Chicago Cardinals NFL championship team. Before this, he played college football for the Louisiana State University. However, in October 1947, Burkett passed away in a tragic plane crash when he was returning to his team following an appendix surgery. The flight on which he was traveling crashed in Utah and killed all 52 passengers onboard.
Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis was a football player from America who played college football for Syracuse University as a halfback. For his contribution, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. In the 1962 NFL draft, he was selected by the Washington Redskins as the 1st overall pick but was immediately traded to Cleveland Browns. However, before playing his first professional NFL game, he, unfortunately, died because of leukemia. In May 1963 he passed away and he was just 23 years old at that time.
Rodney Culver
Rodney Culver was a famous American footballer who, before becoming a running back in the NFL, played college football for the University of Notre Dame. In the 1992 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 4th round as the 85th overall pick. He played four seasons in the National Football League as a running back. However, in May 1996, Culver was tragically killed in a horrific plane crash along with his beloved wife. At the time of his death, Culver was 29 years old.
Bo Farrington
Another player who died while still active in his league was Bo Farrington. He was an American footballer, who in the 1960 NFL draft, was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 16th round. In 1963, Farrington also became the NFL Champion. However, the professional career of the star player was cut short when his life came to an abrupt end. In July 1964, he passed away in a horrific car accident along with his teammate Willie Galimore. The accident took place in Indiana and at the time, he was just 28 years old.
Don Fleming
The professional footballer from America was famous around the world for playing as a safety in the National Football League. In the 1959 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 327th overall pick and played a total of three seasons with the team. On the other hand, during the off-season Fleming used to work as a foreman for a construction company because, in his college, he majored in building construction. He did this because he wanted to gain industry experience and at the same time, wanted to stay in shape. However, in June 1963, while working, Fleming and one of his co-workers were electrocuted. They both passed away after reaching the hospital.
Willie Galimore
Before becoming a professional football player, Galimore was a college footballer who used to play for Florida A&M University. Also, at this time he worked with the famous coach, Jake Gaither. In the 1956 NFL Draft, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 5th round as the 58th overall pick. In the National Football League, he majorly played as a halfback and was known for his incredible speed and movement. However, in July 1964, he was killed in a car accident along with Bo Farrington. At the time of his death, the star player was just 29 years old.
Mose Kelsch
Mose Kelsch is another football player whose professional life came to an abrupt end when he died while being active in his league. The American footballer was a charter member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and majorly played as a placekicker and running back. At the time when he joined the NFL team, Kelsch was the oldest member in the National Football League. However, in July 1935, the famous player passed away in a tragic car accident. Kelsh was just 38 years old when the automobile accident took place in the U.S.
Bob Laraba
The American football player, Bob Laraba was also known as Robert Edward Laraba. Before becoming a renowned football player, he played college football for the University of Texas at El Paso. In the 1959 NFL draft, he was selected by the San Diego Chargers as the 95th overall pick in the 8th round. In the National Football League, he majorly played as a linebacker as well as a quarterback. However, the exceptional career of the player came to an end when he passed away in February 1962. He died in a tragic car accident at the age of 28.
Gene Lipscomb
The professional football player had a habit of calling everybody around him Little Daddy and because of this, in the NFL, he was nicknamed as Big Daddy. Though he was not officially drafted in any NFL Drafts, but in 1953, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams. After this, he played for the Baltimore Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, in May 1963, Lipscomb unfortunately died due to a heroin overdose. It was reported that before his death, he was out with Tim Black and they both partied with women before actually trying heroin. When he started drooling after taking heroin, he was taken to hospital by Black but he was declared dead. In his autopsy, it was revealed that his body also had needle marks.
Stan Mauldin
The footballer from America played as an offensive tackle and was famous around the world for his exceptional skills and abilities. In the 1943 National Football Draft, Mauldin was selected by the Chicago Cardinals as the 53rd overall pick and in the 7 round. With the team, he also won an NFL Championship. However, on 24th September 1948, the football career of Mauldin came to an abrupt end when he lost his life. After a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he suffered a heart attack and passed away. At the time of his death, he was just 27 years old.
Lucien Reeberg
Lucien Reeberg was a renowned football player who was born in New York. Before becoming a star player in the National Football League, he played college football for Hampton University. In the 1963 NFL Draft, Reeberg was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 19th round. He played only one season with the team and majorly played as an offensive tackle. However, when he passed away at the age of 21, his professional career came to a premature end. In 1964, Reeberg Reeberg suffered heart failure after uremic poisoning.
Thomas Herrion
The American football player, Thomas Herrion was not officially drafted by any team in the National Football League. However, after the 2004 NFL draft, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys. He majorly played as an offensive guard and reached great heights in his professional career. Before becoming a star footballer in the National Football League, Herrion played college football for the University of Utah. However, in 2005, he sadly died due to an ischaemic heart disease. It was reported that he collapsed in the changing room after a match against the Denver Broncos. He was just 23 years old at the time of his death.
Mack Lee Hill
The next football player who died while still active in his league was Mack Lee Hill. He was an American player who, before starting his professional football career, played the sport for Southern University. After college, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs team as an undrafted free agent and played as a fullback. However, Hill’s professional career which was full of potential ended unexpectedly when he died at the age of 25. In December 1965, after undergoing knee surgery because he tore his ligament during a match, the player passed away. The medical officials reported that he suffered a massive and sudden embolism.
Stone Johnson
Losing your precious life while still active in the league is one of the saddest things for a football player. Stone Johnson was a footballer from America who majorly played as a running back, sprinter, and kick returner. In 1963, he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs and achieved great heights with the team. However, during a preseason game against the Houston Oilers, he suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck. In 1963, just ten days after this, Johnson lost his life at the young age of 23.
Jeff Alm
Jeff Alm was a football player from America who was popular throughout the world for his defensive tackling skills. Before becoming a professional footballer, Alm played the sport for the University of Notre Dame. In the 1990 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 2nd round as the 41st overall pick. With the team, he played a total of four seasons, majorly as a defensive tackle. However, in December 1993, the star player committed suicide by firing a gunshot in his head. He did this after his car lost control and met with a tragic accident in which Lynch, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car and died. At the time of his death, Jeff Alm was just 25 years old.
Eric Andolsek
The professional football player from America played college football for the Louisiana State University. In the 1988 NFL Draft, the offensive lineman was selected by the Detroit Lions as the 111th overall pick in the 5th round. However, his untimely and sudden death at the age of 25 brought his promising football career to an abrupt end. In June 1992, during the off-season, Andolsek was working in the yard of his home when a semi-trailer truck went off the road in front of his house and killed him.
Troy Archer
Another player of the National Football League who died while still active in the league was Troy Archer. He was an American football player who was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the team as a defensive tackle and rose to prominence. Before this, he played college football for the University of Colorado. However, in June 1979, Archer tragically passed away in an auto accident while he was attending a training camp in New Jersey. It was reported that he was just 24 years old at that time.
Marquise Hill
The footballer, Marquise Hill started playing football when he was at Louisiana State University. After college, he was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2004 NFL Draft as the 63rd overall pick in the 2nd round. During his time with the team, he majorly played as a defensive end and was named the Super Bowl champion as well as the BCS national champion. However, in May 2007, the footballer passed away when he and his friend fell off a jet ski in a lake. It was reported that neither of them was wearing a life jacket and Hill lost his life in saving his friend. Hill was just 24 years old when he died in this tragic accident.
Jerome Brown
The professional footballer, Jerome Brown was also known around the world as Willie Jerome Brown III. Before becoming a star player in the National Football League, he played college football for the University of Miami and was a standout player there. In the 1987 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 9th overall pick in the very first round. He stayed with the team for a total of five seasons before tragically passing away. In June 1992, he died after getting involved in a car accident. It was reported that along with Brown, his 12-year-old nephew also lost his life when their car crashed into a tree.
Frank Buncom
While still active in his league, Frank Buncom became another player who lost his precious life. He was a football player from America who started his professional life when he was selected by the San Diego Chargers in 1962. After staying with the team for some time, he played for the Cincinnati Bengals. However, in 1969, on the morning of the Bengals’s opening game of the regular season, Buncom passed away due to a pulmonary embolism. His roommate reported that he woke up to Buncom’s voice calling him for help and having breathing problems. He was just 29 years old at the time of his death.
J. V. Cain
The professional footballer from America majorly played as a tight end. In the 1974 NFL Draft, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round as the seventh overall pick. Before this, he was a standout college football player at the University of Colorado. In July 1979, during a no-contact training camp practice, Cain suddenly collapsed on the ground. The medical officials present at the scene tried to revive him by CPR but were unsuccessful. Later, he was taken to the hospital but was declared dead. His autopsy reported that he died because of a congenital heart problem, which was very rare.
Rusty Chambers
The American football player started playing the sport at a very young age. At Tulane University, he was a standout player who majorly played as a linebacker. After the 1975 NFL Draft, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints. Later in 1976, he joined the Miami Dolphins and stayed with them until 1980. However, in July 1981, Chambers tragically lost his life when he was killed in an automobile accident just 5 miles away from his residence. Along with him, his friend Michal Piazza lost his life.
Edwin Jackson
He was a professional football player from America who majorly played as a linebacker. Before becoming a standout player in the National Football League, Jackson played college football for Georgia Southern University. Later in 2015, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals. Further, for two seasons he joined the Indianapolis Colts. However, in February 2018, he along with his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, passed away in a car accident. It was reported that a pickup truck struck them on the road. At the time of his death, Jackson was just 26 years old.
Joe Delaney
The next football player whose professional career came to a premature end is Joe Delaney. He was a popular footballer who played as a running back in the National Football League. In the 1981 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs as the 41st overall pick in the 2nd round. However, in June 1983, Delaney unfortunately passed away when he was trying to save three kids who were drowning in the swimming pool of an amusement park. It was reported that he saved two kids out of which one kid died later in the hospital. The body of Delaney and the 3rd kid was later recovered. The footballer was 24 years old at the time of his death.
Jim Duncan
The professional football player from America was known around the world for playing as a defensive back in the National Football League. In the 1968 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the fourth round as the 107th overall pick. Later in 1972, he joined the New Orleans Saints and played in the NFL. However, in October 1972, Jim Duncan passed away at the age of 26, putting an end to his stellar professional career. It was reported that he walked into a police station and shot himself in the head with a police officer’s pistol.
Larry Gordon
Larry Gordon was an American football player who played a total of 7 seasons in the National Football League. In the 1976 NFL Draft, Gordon was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round and majorly played as a linebacker. Before becoming a standout NFL player, he played college football for Arizona State University. However, in June 1983, the footballer died after collapsing in a desert while he was jogging. He was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead there. The medical officials stated that a heart disease caused his death.
Roger Hagberg
Roger Hagberg was another professional football player who played in the position of a running back. In the 1961 NFL Draft, he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the tenth round as the 128th overall pick. Apart from the National Football League, he played in the AFL and CFL. However, in April 1970, the footballer sadly passed away when he was thrown out of his vehicle which was struck by other two cars. It was reported that Hagberg was just 31 years old at the time of his death.
Chuck Hughes
The American football player was famous around the world for playing in the National Football League. In the 1967 NFL Draft, Hughes was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 99th overall pick in the fourth round. Later in 1970, the player was sent to the Detroit Lions and became a standout player. Before this, Hughes was a college football player who played the sport for the University of Texas at El Paso. However, in 1971, the player collapsed on the field while still in the game, clutching his chest. The doctors present on the scene tried to revive him but were unsuccessful. He was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead. In his autopsy, it was reported that he died due to a heart attack caused by a blood clot.
Bruce McLenna
Bruce McLenna was one of those NFL players who made a name for himself by showing off his exceptional skills and abilities. In the 1965 National Football League Draft, he was selected by the Detroit Lions as the 123rd overall pick. Later he played in the NFL for New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Majorly, he played at the halfback, fullback, and end positions. However, in June 1968, McLenna passed away in a tragic car accident when he was travelling in a military vehicle. He was just 26 years old at the time of the car accident.
Ralph Norwood
The professional footballer from America lost his life while he was still active in the National Football League. In the 1989 NFL Draft, Norwood was selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the 38th overall pick. However, with the team, he only played a total of 11 games as an offensive tackle. However, in November 1989, the footballer tragically passed away in a car accident. It was reported that he was alone in the car when he crossed over a lane and struck a tree. Norwood was active in the NFL and was just 23 years old at the time of his death.
Brian Piccolo
Another footballer whose professional life ended abruptly due to his untimely death was Brian Piccolo. He was an American football player signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 1965. He stayed with the team until 1969 and played majorly as a halfback. Before this, Piccolo played college football for Wake Forest University, where he was named the standout performer. However, in 1970, he passed away because of embryonal cell carcinoma, a form of cancer. At the time of his demise, Piccolo was 26 years old.
Don Rogers
Don Rogers was a footballer from America who played as a safety in the National Football League. Before starting his professional career, he played football for the University of California, Los Angeles. In the 1984 NFL draft, Rogers was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 18th overall pick in the first round. However, before his death, he only played two seasons. In June 1986, he passed away due to a heart attack, which was caused by an overdose of cocaine. It was reported that he died just one day before his wedding.
Andy Spiva
The American football player gained recognition around the world because he was exceptionally talented in the sport. In the 1977 NFL draft, he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round as the 135th overall pick. However, he only appeared in 13 games with the team before his professional career came to an abrupt end. In April 1979, because Andy was driving in rainy conditions, his sports car slid off a street and struck a nearby tree. He was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead because he suffered serious head and chest injuries.
Stacey Toran
Before becoming a professional football player, Stacey Toran was a college football player who played for the University of Notre Dame. After this, he was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1984 NFL Draft as the 168th overall pick. With the team, he played in a total of 5 seasons. However, in August 1989, he tragically lost his life in a car accident. It was reported that his vehicle met with an accident around a turn on Glencoe Avenue near the Marina Del Ray. At the time of his death, Toran was just 27 years old.
Fred Washington
Fred Washington was a footballer who mainly played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League. In the 1990 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round as the 32nd overall pick. He only played with the team for one season before actually losing his precious life in a tragic accident. In December 1990, Washington passed away in a car accident when he was just 23 years old. At the time of his death, he was in his rookie season.
Dave Waymer
Dave Waymer was the next player who earned his spot on the list of NFL players who died while still active in the league. He was a professional football player from America who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 1980 NFL Draft as the 41st overall pick. Later, he also played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. However, in April 1993, Waymer passed away after suffering a heart attack which was induced by the regular use of cocaine. He was just 34 years old at the time of his death.
Kenny McKinley
The Denver Broncos selected the wide receiver in the 2009 NFL Draft as the 141st overall pick. Before this, he played college football for the University of South Carolina. However, the professional of Kenny ended suddenly when he tragically died. In September 2010, the footballer was found dead from self-inflicted gunshots at the age of 23. It was reported that he was depressed over debt, his injury, and his post-playing professional career.
O.J. Murdock
He was a professional football player from America who played as a wide receiver in the National Football League. Though he was not officially drafted in the National Football League, but he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans. However, in July 2012, the body of Murdock was found in his car parked outside his school with self-inflicted gunshots. He was immediately taken to the hospital but one day later, he was declared dead. He was just 25 years old when he committed suicide.
Corey Smith
The professional football player from America majorly played as a defensive end in the National Football League. In 2002, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Later, he also played the sport for the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. However, in March 2009, a fishing boat in which he was traveling along with three other people went missing. Though the boat was found with one passenger clinging to it, but other three were not located. The search for Smith was called off and his death was officially declared at the age of 29.
Sean Taylor
In the National Football League, Sean Taylor played as a safety for the Washington Redskins. In the 2004 NFL Draft, he was selected by the team as the 5th overall pick. With the team, he rose to prominence and was given the nickname of Meast. However, in November 2007, he lost his life which brought his professional life to an abrupt end. It was reported that he died after one day when he was shot in the leg by a home intruder. His wife and daughter were not harmed but he suffered excessive blood loss.
Derrick Thomas
Another footballer who died while still active in the National Football League was Derrick Thomas. In the 1989 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the very first round and played majorly at the linebacker position. Also, he was considered a great pass-rusher in the NFL. However, in January 2000, Thomas was involved in a serious car accident, due to which he was admitted to a hospital. Later in February, he wasn’t feeling well and died after some time because he went into cardiorespiratory arrest. It was reported that he died due to pulmonary embolism.
Tray Walker
Tray Walker was a professional footballer from America who was born in Miami, Florida. Before starting his NFL career, he was a college football player who played for Texas Southern University. In the 2015 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round. However, the professional life of the player came to an end when he died. In March 2016, Walker was riding a dirt bike and was seriously injured when he collided with a car. He was taken to the hospital immediately, where he was declared dead the next day. It was reported that he died due to the injuries he suffered.
