Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2000

Tom Landry (1924-2000)

Feb 12 American NFL player, 1949-55 (NY Giants) and coach, 1960-88 (Dallas Cowboys), dies of leukemia at 75

Feb 16 Karsten Solheim, American golf entrepreneur (PING, Solheim Cup), dies at 88
Feb 21 Antonio Díaz-Miguel, Spanish basketball coach (b. 1933)
Feb 23 Stanley Matthews, English soccer forward (54 caps; Stoke City, Blackpool; 1st British player to be knighted), dies at 85
Mar 2 Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (Olympic gold team 1998; World C'ship gold 1993, 94, 87), dies of metastatic adenocarcinoma at 36
Mar 6 Chris Balderstone, English cricket batsman (England, belated faced WI in 1976), dies at 59
Mar 11 Alfred Schwarzmann, German gymnast (Olympic gold individual, team, horse vault, 2 x bronze 1936; silver 1952), dies at 87
Mar 12 Mack Robinson, American 200m dash (Olympic silver 1932), dies at 85
Apr 5 Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)
Apr 12 Niaz Ahmed, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (2 Tests, 3 wickets; Dacca, Public Works Dep't, East Pakistan, Railways; only East Pakistani to play Test cricket), dies at 54
Apr 13 Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball utility (World Series 1941; Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 90
Apr 14 Wilf Mannion, English footballer (b. 1918)
Apr 24 Derek Allhusen, English equestrian rider (Olympic gold team, silver Individual eventing 1968), dies at 86
Apr 24 John Beck, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests; 3 x 50; top score 99; Wellington), dies at 65
May 5 Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (Tour de France 1938, 48; Giro d'Italia 1936-7, 46), dies of a heart attack at 85
May 12 Adam Petty, American auto racer (son of Kyle Petty; death leads to NASCAR mandate of steering wheel kill switch), dies in practice session accident at 19

Maurice Richard (1921-2000)

May 27 Canadian NHL star (Montreal Canadiens, MVP-1947), dies of abdominal cancer and parkinson's disease at 78

May 28 Eric Turner, American football safety (First-team All-Pro 1994; Pro Bowl 1994, 96; NFL interceptions co-leader 1994; Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens), dies of stomach cancer at 31
Jun 5 Don Liddle, American baseball player, dies at 75
Jun 10 Brian Statham, English cricket fast bowler (70 Tests, 252 wickets @ 24.84), dies at 69
Jun 10 William McMillan, American sports shooter (Olympic gold 25m rapid fire pistol 1960; World C'ship gold 1952), dies at 71
Jun 17 Alex Moir, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (17 Tests, 28 wickets, BB 6/155; Otago), dies at 80
Jun 20 Jim De Courcy, Australian cricketer (Australian batsman 1953), dies at 73
Jun 27 Larry Kelley, American College Football Hall of Fame tight end (Heisman Trophy 1936; unanimous All-American 1936; Yale), commits suicide at 85
Jun 29 Arnie Weinmeister, Canadian Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1950–53; First-team All-Pro 1950–53; NY Yankees, NY Giants; BC Lions), dies at 77
Jul 2 Joey Dunlop, Irish motorcycle racer (b. 1952)
Jul 7 Kenny Irwin, Jr., American auto racer (USAC National Midget Champion 1996; NASCAR 87 starts), dies in a crash during practice at 30
Jul 10 Justin Pierce, English-American actor and skateboarder (b. 1975)
Jul 24 Anatoli Firsov, Russian ice hockey left wing (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72; 8 x World C'ship gold), dies at 59
Aug 5 Lala Amarnath, Indian cricket all-rounder and captain (24 Tests, 1 x 100, 4 x 50, HS 118, 45 wickets; Gujarat CC, Hindus CC), dies at 88
Aug 10 Gilbert Parkhouse, Welsh cricket batsman (7 Tests England, 2 x 50; Glamorgan CCC, MCC), dies at 74
Aug 14 Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (36 Test wkts for South Africa, 1 career no-ball), dies at 71
Aug 18 Maurice Evans, English soccer wing half (Reading, 407 games) and manager (Shrewsbury Town, Reading, Oxford United), dies from a heart attack at 63
Aug 20 Henry Austin, British tennis player (3-time Grand Slam runner-up), dies of complications from a fall at 94
Aug 30 Willie Maddren, English soccer defender (Middlesborough 293 games) and manager (Middlesborough 1984-86), dies from motor neurone disease at 49
Sep 5 Roy Fredericks, West Indian cricket batsman (59 Tests @ 42.49, 8 x 100s; British Guyana, Glamorgan CCC), dies at 57
Sep 17 Nicole Reinhart, American cyclist (b. 1976)
Sep 23 Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican Major League Baseball player (b. 1947)
Oct 5 Cătălin Hîldan, Romanian footballer (b. 1976)
Oct 17 Leo Nomellini, American College/Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Uni of Minnesota; 6×First-team All-Pro; 10×Pro Bowl; NFL 1950s All-Decade Team; SF 49ers), dies of a stroke at 76
Oct 22 Hank Wyse, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1945; Chicago Cubs), dies at 82
Nov 1 George Armstrong, English soccer winger and manager (Arsenal 500 games; Kuwait 1988-89), dies of a brain haemorrhage at 56

Emil Zátopek (1922-2000)

Nov 22 Czech distance runner (4 x Olympic gold 1948, 52), dies of a stroke at 78

Nov 25 Hugh Alexander, American baseball player, dies at 83
Nov 27 Len Shackleton, English former footballer, dies at 78
Nov 27 Willie Cunningham, Scottish soccer right back (8 caps; Airdrieonians FC, Preston North End 437 games), dies at 75
Nov 29 Lou Groza, American football placekicker & offensive tackle (9 × Pro Bowl; 4 × First-team All-Pro; Cleveland Browns), dies from a heart attack at 76
Dec 2 Chris Antley, American Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Kentucky Derby 1991, 1999; Preakness 1999), dies of a drug overdose at 34

Colin Cowdrey (1932-2000)

Dec 4 England cricket batsman (114 Tests, 7,624 runs @ 44.06), dies of a heart attack at 67

Dec 14 George Sholty, American harness driver (2,934 career wins; $20 million+ purse money), dies at 68
Dec 18 Stan Fox, American race car driver (b. 1952)
Dec 25 Neil Hawke, Australian cricket fast bowler (27 Tests, 91 wickets; South Australia CA), dies at 61
Dec 30 Lionel Hebert, American golfer (PGA Championship 1957), dies at 72