In 2024, several athletes left this world and left a void in the sports world. They lived a purposeful life and inspired people all over the country. They were heroes of real life. Though they are gone, history will remember their names, contributions, and achievements for their country. We have tried to mention all those athletes with their remarkable performances.
1. Abner Haynes
He was an American professional football player, an early icon of the American Football League (AFL), and one of the first black players who played in an integrated college football team in the state. He was given AFL’s Rookie of the year and player of the year. He passed away on 18th July 2024 at the age of 86 in Dallas.
2. Vontae Davis
He was an American football player, he played as a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League for about 10 years. He made two Pro Bowls in his career. He retired abruptly from the NFL in the middle of the Bills’ second game during halftime in 2018. He was found dead on 1st April at his home in South Florida. He was only 35, cause of death is unknown.
3. Jose DeLeon
Jose was a Dominican professional baseball right handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a National League (NL) strikeout leader. He died on 25th Feb 2024 due to cancer. He was an MLB pitcher for 13 seasons. He was the first pitcher in history to record at least 1500 strikeouts and not win 100 games.
4. Char Ron Dorsey
He was a professional football player. He was an offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. He played in the Seminoles’ national championship in 1999 then Dallas Cowboys selected him in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL in which he played 12 games. He passed away due to a stroke on 4th March 2024, he also had a successful coaching career.
5. Golden Richards
Richards was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He had a career-high 27 receptions with the Bears in 1978. In 2011, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He passed away due to congestive heart failure on 23rd Feb 2024.
6. Orlando Cepeda
He was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player known as Baby Bull and Peruchin, He had a dynamic personality and was famous for his powerful hitting. He was the first baseman in MLB. He played for six teams from 1958 to 1974. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. He died on June 28th 2024. He was given a number of awards including the National League MVP in 1967.
7. Michael Charles Jones
He was known by his ring name Virgil, and was an American Wrestler. He is best known in World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He debuted in 1985 as Soul Train Jones. He won the Million Dollar Championship at SummerSlam. He had suffered from several strokes which became the cause of his death on 28th Feb 2024 at the age of 72. He was well known on social media due to memes.
8. Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton III is considered a legend in the basketball world, the greatest UCLA basketball player of all time. He was also a television sportscaster. He won two NBA championships with the Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Celtics in 1986. He passed away on 27th May 2024 due to colorectal cancer at the age of 71. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
9. Tony Hutson
He was a professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He played six seasons in the NFL. He died on 3rd Feb 2024. His former teammate wrote on social media “Lost one of my favorite teammates and great friends in Tony Hutson last night”.
10. Robert Reid
He was an American professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His most historic moment in the NBA was his three-point shot in Game 5 of the 1986 Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers that tied the game. He gave training to young athletes in several countries. He passed away at his home from cancer on 19th Feb 2024 at the age of 68.
11. Charles Driesell
Charles Grice “Lefty” Driesell was an American college basketball coach. He was a legend, the only coach who won at least 100 games at four different Division I schools in NCAA history. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He died on Saturday at the age of 92, 17th Feb 2024. He played college basketball at Duke University.
12. Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Rashi’d Jones was an American football player who was a return specialist and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the wide receivers coach at Alabama State University. He had the longest kickoff return in a Super Bowl (108) and the longest play in Super Bowl history. He passed away on 14th July 2024, three days after his 40th birthday.
13. Andy Russell
Charles Andrew Russell was an American professional player who played as a linebacker for 12 years for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, and to the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2011, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Russell to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2011. He passed away on 1st March 2024.
14. Roman Gabriel
Roman IIdonzo Gabriel Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was the first NFL quarterback of Filipino-American descent, he also won the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1969. He played College football for the NC State Wolfpack twice earning first-team All-American honors. He passed away on 20th April 2024 at his home.
15. Khyree Jackson
Khyree Anthony Jackson was an American professional football player, he played as a cornerback. He played college football for the Fort Scott Greyhounds, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Oregon Ducks. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the 108th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He was with his two teammates when an accident happened in the early morning hours of 6th July 2024, He was killed in that car crash at the age of 24.
16. Frank Ryan
He was a professional football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Redskins. He led the Browns to their most recent National Football League title in 1964. He was also a mathematician. He died on 1st Jan 2024 due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease, he was 87.
17. Jerry West
Jerry Alan West was an American basketball player and executive. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He is known as Mr. Clutch and the Logo. After his playing career ended, he became the coach for three years. He passed away on 12th June 2024
18. Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected in the first round of the 1962 NFL draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times. He retired in 1977 after that started working as head football coach at The Apprentice School. He died on 14th Jan 2024.
19. OJ Simpson
Orenthal James Simpson, whose nickname was The Juice, was an American professional football player, actor, and media personality. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He was considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. He was tried and acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. He passed away on 10th April 2024 due to cancer.
20. Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. is considered as one of the greatest American professional basketball center fielder. He played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). His nickname was “The Say Hey Kid”. He began his career in the Negro Leagues, then spent the rest of his career in the National League. He was an All-Star 24 times. He died of heart failure at a care home on 18th June 2024. He was given final military honors for his service during the Korean War.
21. Jack Squirek
Jack Steve Squirek was a football player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Raiders and Miami Dolphins. His most famous play is his interception in Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins. He passed away on 5th Jan 2024 at the age of 64.
22. Bud Harrelson
Darrel McKinley Bud Harrelson was an American professional baseball shortstop, coach, and manager. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers from 1965 to 1980. He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1986. He was the only person in Mets history to have appeared in four playoff seasons as a player in 1969 and 1973 and as a coach in 1986 and 1988. He passed away on 11thJan 2024
23. U.L Washington
He was an American professional baseball player and coach. The U and L are his legal given name and not the initials of other names. From 1977 to 1987, He played in Major League Baseball (MBL) for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He used to have a toothpick in the corner of his mouth while on the field and at the plate. He died of cancer on 3rd March 2024.
24. Ronald Powell
He was a football player who was a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. Powell was listed as the 15th-ranked OLB. He died on 15th Jan 2024 at the age of 32.
25. Ole Anderson
Alan Rogowski Anderson’s wrestling career started in the American Wrestling Association in Minneapolis. His career grew in the 80s. He was one of the original members of the legendary pro wrestling stable The Four Horsemen. He went to work with World Wide Wrestling then he became the head of the booking committee for World Champion Wrestling. He retired in 1996. He passed away on 26th Feb 2024.
26. Don Gullett
Former MLB pitcher Don Gullett played from 1970 to 1978. He was a part of four straight World Series-winning teams. He had a nine-year career in which he won 109 games, saved 11, and recorded 921 strikeouts. He is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He suffered a career-ending injury in 1978 and returned to Cincinnati to coach. He passed away on 14th Feb due to heart issues at the age of 73.
27. Earl Cureton
He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). “The Twirl” was his nickname. He played in multiple countries overseas. After playing career, He coached in the NBA. He won an NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. He became a community Ambassador for the Pistons in 2013. He collapsed at his home on 4th Feb 2024 at the age of 66.
28. Richard Caster
He was an American football tight end who also played as a wide receiver. He played for 13 seasons in the National Football League. He is the NFL all-time leader in career receiving yards per reception by a tight end (minimum 200 career receptions) with 17.3. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with Gang Green. He was battling with Parkinson’s disease and passed away on 2nd Feb 2024.
29. Joe Bryant
Joseph Washington “Jellybean” Bryant was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clipper, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007. He also coached in Japan and Thailand. His son Kobe Bryant, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 69 on 15th July 2024.
30. Mike Martin
Martin played professional baseball in the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers minor league organizations before starting his career in coaching. He was the head baseball coach of the Florida State Seminoles baseball team. He holds the record for the most wins in NCAA Division I college baseball history. He had compiled a record of 2,029 wins, 736 losses, and 4 ties over 40 seasons of collegiate coaching. He was 79 when he passed away on 1st Feb 2024.
31. Terry Beasley
Terry Paul Beasley was a wide receiver in football. He was with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He received unanimous All-American honors in 1971. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He died of an apparent suicide, according to reports it was a self-inflicted gunshot at his home on 31st January 2024 at the age of 73.
32. Sean Burroughs
Sean Patrick Burroughs was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MBL) from 2002 to 2005 and then from 2011 to 2012. He won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He died on 9th May 2024, according to reports, he collapsed due to a Fentanyl overdose in the parking lot after dropping off his kid at a Little League game.
33. Chet Walker
Chester Chet Walker was in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a seven-time NBA All-Star. He played seven seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers and helped the team to lead in the NBA championship in 1967. He also played for the Chicago Bulls from 1969 to 1975. Due to his long-term illness, he passed away on 8th June 2024.
34. Drew Gordon
Drew Edward Gordon played professional basketball. He played mostly overseas but also for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in NBA G League. He was the older brother of NBA forward Aaron Gordon. He died in a traffic accident on 30th May 2024 at the age of 33. He had taken retirement on 12th July 2023.
35. Darius Morris
Darius was an American professional basketball player. He played the point guard position. He played for the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He also played overseas in China, Russia, and France. The National Association of Basketball Coaches named him as a 2nd team All-District selection for the district composed of Big Ten schools. He passed away on 2nd May 2024 due to coronary artery disease at the age of 33.
36. Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman was a professional baseball player and coach. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1965. He was a two-time All-Star. He is a member of the Chicago Hall of Fame. He was a 20-game-winner for the Athletics in 1973. He passed away due to cardiac issues on 15th April 2024.
37. Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen Jr. played football. He was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, He is considered one of the NFL’s physically strongest players ever, and was also capable of using his speed against defenders. He earned ten Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro honors. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. He passed away on 2nd June 2024 when he was on vacation with his family.
38. Grayson Murray
Grayson Colby Murray was a professional American golfer. He won two PGA Tour events, the Barbasol Championship in 2017 and the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2024. From 2006 to 2008, He won three straight Callaway Junior Championships. He was the top ranked golfer nationally in his age group. He died on 25th May 2024 at the age of 30, he attempted suicide.
