On This Day
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Athletes Who Died in 2024

  • Jan 1 Frank Ryan, American football quarterback (NFL C'ship 1964, 3 × Pro Bowl, NFL passing TD leader 1964, 66; Cleveland Browns), dies from complications of Alzheimer's disease at 87
  • Jan 1 Mario Boljat, Croatian soccer defender-midfielder (5 caps; Hajduk Split, Schalke 04), dies at 72
  • Jan 2 Alberto Festa, Portuguese soccer right-back (19 caps; FC Tirsense, FC Porto), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 84
  • Jan 2 Ángel Castellanos, Spanish soccer defender (3 caps; Granada CF, Valencia CF 363 games), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 71
  • Jan 2 Cameron Dunkin, American boxing manager (Diego Corrales, Terence Crawford, Johnny Tapia, Kelly Pavlik, Timothy Bradley, Mikey Garcia), dies of pancreatic cancer at 67
  • Jan 2 Carmen Valero, Spanish athlete (IAAF World Cross Country C'ship gold 1976, 77; bronze 1975), dies from a stroke at 68
  • Jan 2 Daniel Revenu, French fencer (Olympic gold team foil 1968; bronze x 5; World C'ship gold 1971, 75), dies at 81
  • Jan 3 Billy Gardner, American baseball manager (Minnesota Twins 1981–85, KC Royals 1987) and second baseman (World Series 1954 NY Giants, 1961 Minnesota Twins), dies at 96
  • Jan 3 René Metge, French rally driver (Dakar Rally 1981, 84, 86), dies at 82
  • Jan 4 Rosie Reyes, Mexican tennis player (French C'ships women's doubles 1958 [Yola Ramírez]), dies at 84
  • Jan 5 Mário Zagallo, Brazilian soccer forward (33 caps; FIFA World Cup 1958, 62; Flamengo, Botafogo) and manager (Brazil FIFA World Cup 1970; Copa America 1997), dies at 92
  • Jan 6 Malcolm Price, Welsh rugby union centre (9 Tests Wales, 5 British & Irish Lions; Pontypool RFC) and rugby league centre (2 Tests GB; Oldham RLFC, Rochdale Hornets), dies at 86
  • Jan 7 Duncan Hales, New Zealand rugby union three-quarter (4 Tests; Canterbury RFU, Manawatu RFU), dies at 76

Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024)

Jan 7 German soccer defender (103 caps; FIFA World Cup 1974; Bayern Munich 427 games; Ballon d'Or 1972, 76) and manager (FIFA World Cup 1990; Bayern Munich), dies at 78

Franz Beckenbauer
  • Jan 8 Frans Janssens, Belgian soccer forward (2 caps; Belgian Man of the Season 1973–74 Lierse SK), dies at 78
  • Jan 8 J. P. R. Williams, Welsh rugby union fullback (55 caps Wales, 8 British & Irish Lions; Grand Slam 1971, 76, 78), dies from bacterial meningitis at 74
  • Jan 10 Bud Harrelson, American baseball shortstop (MLB All-Star 1970, 71; World Series 1969; Gold Glove 1971 New York Mets) and manager (NY Mets 1990, 91), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 79
  • Jan 12 Bev Dovey, English rugby union prop (2 Tests; Bristol RFC 184 games; Western Counties, Gloucestershire), dies at 85
  • Jan 13 Stephen Laybutt, Australian soccer defender (15 caps; Brisbane Strikers, Excelsior Mouscron, KAA Gent), dies from suicide at 46
  • Jan 14 Norm Snead, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1962, 63, 65, 72; NFL completion % leader 1972 NY Giants; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 84
  • Jan 15 Georgios Darivas, Greek soccer forward (16 caps; Olympiacos 270 games) and manager (Olympiacos 1971, 75-76), dies at 97
  • Jan 15 Jorge Griffa, Argentine soccer defender (4 caps; CA Newell's Old Boys, Atlético Madrid 227 games), dies at 88
  • Jan 17 Bennie Muller, Dutch soccer midfielder (43 caps; AFC Ajax 341 games), dies at 85
  • Jan 17 Shawn Barber, Canadian athlete (World C'ship gold pole vault 2019; World Indoor Tour 2016), dies after long illness at 29
  • Jan 19 Jack Burke Jr, American golfer (US Masters, PGA C'ship 1956; Ryder Cup 1951, 53, 55, 59; 1973 [non-playing captain]), dies at 100
  • Jan 19 Lance Larson, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay, silver 100m freestyle 1960; WR 100m butterfly 58.7s 1960), dies at 83
  • Jan 20 Doug Padgett, English cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 31; Yorkshire CCC, MCC), dies at 89
  • Jan 22 Luigi Riva, Italian soccer striker (42 caps; Cagliari 315 games), dies from a heart attack at 79
  • Jan 23 Jean Petit, French soccer midfielder (12 caps; AC Monaco 428 games), dies at 74
  • Jan 26 Jimy Williams, American MLB baseball infielder (St. Louis Cardinals), coach (World Series Champ - Atlanta, 1995 & Philadelphia, 2008), and manager (Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox (AL Manager of the Year -1999), Houston Astros), dies at 80
  • Jan 28 Luis Tejada, Panamanian soccer striker (108 caps; Juan Aurich SA 154 games), dies from a heart attack at 41
  • Jan 28 Víctor Luna, Colombian soccer defender (21 caps; Atlético Nacional, América de Cali), dies from a heart attack at 64
  • Jan 29 Héctor Sanabria, Mexican soccer defender (7 caps; UNAM Pumas 1965-78) and manager (UNAM Pumas, CD Toluca, CD Veracruz), dies at 78
  • Jan 30 Abe Terry, English rugby league front rower (11 Tests; Challenge Cup 1961 St. Helens RLFC [216 games]), dies at 89
  • Jan 30 John Dodds, Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer (250cc world championship 1973 3rd; 4 x GP wins, 21 x podiums; European Formula 750 1974), dies at 80
  • Jan 31 Leif Eriksen, Norwegian soccer forward (4 caps; Vålerenga FC, Eidsvold Turn) and manager (Vålerenga FC, Jevnaker IF, Skeid), dies at 83
  • Jan 31 Terry Beasley, American College Football HOF wide receiver (Unanimous All-American 1971 Auburn University; NFL: San Francisco 49ers), dies at 73

Carl Weathers (1948-2024)

Feb 1 American football player, actor (Rocky films (I-IV); Street Justice; The Mandalorian), and director, dies at 76

Carl Weathers
  • Feb 1 Michel Jazy, French athlete (WR 1 mile 3:53.6 1965; Olympic silver 1500m 1960), dies at 87
  • Feb 1 Mike Martin, American College Baseball HOF coach (all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I: Florida State Uni 1980-2019; Baseball America Coach of the Year 2012, 19), dies at 79
  • Feb 2 Francisco Jara, Mexican soccer forward (9 caps; CD Guadalajara 1960-71), dies at 82
  • Feb 2 Rich Caster, American football wide receiver-tight end (Super Bowl XVII Washington Redskins; Pro Bowl 1972, 74, 75 New York Jets), dies from Parkinson's disease at 75
  • Feb 2 Stefan Yanev, Bulgarian soccer midfielder (Cherno More Varna 228 games) and broadcaster (BNT; 17 books on Bulgarian football), dies at 84
  • Feb 4 Barry John, Welsh rugby union fly-half (25 Tests Wales, 5 British & Irish Lions; Cefneithin RFC, Llanelli RFC, Cardiff RFC, Barbarian FC), dies at 79
  • Feb 4 Giacomo Losi, Italian soccer defender (11 caps; AS Roma 386 games) and manager (Piacenza, ASG Nocerina, SS Juve Stabia), dies at 88
  • Feb 4 John Elford, Australian rugby league winger (4 Tests; Western Suburbs RLFC, NSW), dies at 76
  • Feb 4 Kurt Hamrin, Swedish soccer winger (31 caps; AIK, AC Milan, Fiorentina 289 games), dies at 89
  • Feb 5 Tsutomu Hanahara, Japanese freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1964), dies at 84
  • Feb 6 Don McKay, New Zealand rugby union winger (5 Tests; Auckland RU), dies at 86
  • Feb 6 Miguel Ángel, Spanish soccer goalkeeper (18 caps; Real Madrid 247 games), dies of ALS at 76
  • Feb 7 Luigi Arienti, Italian track cyclist (Olympic gold men's team pursuit 1960), dies at 87
  • Feb 9 Roland Grip, Swedish soccer defender (55 caps; IFK Östersund, AIK, IK Sirius), dies at 83
  • Feb 12 Zdenko Morović, Venezuelan soccer midfielder (5 caps; Deportivo Italia, CS Marítimo, Caracas FC), dies at 57
  • Feb 13 Datta Gaekwad, Indian cricket batsman and captain (11 Tests, 1 x 50; Baroda CC), dies at 95
  • Feb 13 Ken Ploen, American CFL HOF quarterback (CFL All-Star 1965; CFL West All-Star 1957, 59, 65 Winnipeg Blue Bombers), dies at 88
  • Feb 14 Don Gullett, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1970-78 (3 x World Series Champion - Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees), dies at 73
  • Feb 16 Ian McMillan, Scottish soccer inside forward (6 caps; Airdrieonians 301 games, Rangers 127 games) and manager (Airdrieonians 1970-76, 1985–86), dies at 92
  • Feb 16 Jan Sørensen, Danish soccer striker (11 caps; Club Brugge, FC Twente, Feyenoord, Ajax) and manager (Portimonense, Walsall FC), dies at 68
  • Feb 16 Joe Hindelang, American college baseball coach (USciences, Lafayette, Penn State Uni 1991-2004), dies at 78
  • Feb 16 Jorge Toro, Chilean soccer midfielder (29 caps; Colo-Colo, Sampdoria, Modena, Unión Española), dies at 85
  • Feb 17 Bill Francis, Welsh rugby league utility back (4 Tests Great Britain, 19 Wales; Wigan, St. Helens, Oldham), dies at 76
  • Feb 17 Lefty Driesell, American Basketball HOF coach (first to win 100+ games at 4 different NCAA Div I schools: Davidson College, Uni of Maryland, James Madison, Georgia State), dies at 92
  • Feb 17 Levan Tediashvili, Georgian freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold USSR 82kg 1972, 90kg 1976; World C'ship gold x 4), dies at 75
  • Feb 17 Mike Procter, South African cricket all-rounder (7 Tests, 41 wickets, BB 6/73; Gloucestershire CCC, Natal, Western Province, Rhodesia, Orange Free State), dies of cardiac arrest at 77
  • Feb 20 Andreas Brehme, German soccer defensive midfielder (86 caps; FIFA World Cup 1990; 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan), dies from cardiac arrest at 63
  • Feb 20 Vasile Dîba, Romanian sprint canoeist (Olympic gold K-1 500m 1976; ICF World C'ships 5 x gold), dies at 69
  • Feb 22 Artur Jorge, Portuguese soccer striker (16 caps; Académica, Benfica, Belenenses) and manager (Portugal, Switzerland, Cameroon; Porto), dies at 78
  • Feb 22 Jean-Guy Talbot, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (7 x Stanley Cup Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star) and coach (St. Louis Blues, NY Rangers), dies at 91
  • Feb 23 Irene Camber, Italian fencer (Olympic gold foil individual 1952, bronze team foil 1960; World C'ship gold 1953 individual foil; team foil 1957), dies at 98
  • Feb 23 Rui Rodrigues, Portuguese soccer centre-back (12 caps; Académica, Benfica, Vitória Guimarães), dies at 80
  • Feb 23 Wilson Fittipaldi Jr, Brazilian auto racer (38 x F1 GP) and team owner (Fittipaldi F1 team), dies at 80
  • Feb 24 Chris Nicholl, Irish soccer centre-back (51 caps Northern Ireland; Aston Villa 210 games, Southampton 228 games) and manager (Southampton 1985–91, Walsall 1994–97), dies at 77
  • Feb 24 Stan Bowles, English soccer forward (5 caps; Queens Park Rangers 255 games, Leyton Orient, Brentford), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 75
  • Feb 24 Ulrik le Fevre, Danish soccer left winger (37 caps; Vejle Boldklub, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Club Brugge), dies at 77
  • Feb 29 Andy Russell, American football linebacker (Super Bowl IX, X; First-team All-Pro 1975; 7 x Pro Bowl; Pittsburgh Steelers), dies at 82
  • Mar 3 Chris Mortensen, American sports journalist (ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio), dies from throat cancer at 72
  • Mar 3 Roberto Fleitas, Uruguayan soccer coach (Uruguay: Copa América 1987; Nacional FC: Copa Libertadores & South American Coach of the Year 1988), dies at 91
  • Mar 4 Kees Rijvers, Dutch soccer midfielder (33 caps; NAC Breda, Saint-Étienne, Feyenoord) and manager (FC Twente, PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), dies at 97
  • Mar 4 Lewis Jones, Welsh rugby union outside back (10 Tests Wales, 3 British Lions; Neath, Llanelli) and rugby league utility (2 Tests Wales, 17 Great Britain; Leeds, Wentworthville), dies at 92
  • Mar 7 Minervino Pietra, Portuguese soccer right-back (28 caps; Belenenses, Benfica) and manager (Alverca, Juventude Évora, Estoril, Barreirense), dies at 70
  • Mar 8 Duncan Fearnley, English cricket entrepreneur (Duncan Fearnley cricket bats), dies at 83
  • Mar 9 Georgi Popov, Bulgarian soccer forward (22 caps; Botev Plovdiv 308 games) and manager (Botev Plovdiv, Maritsa Plovdiv), dies at 79
  • Mar 10 Sergey Diomidov, Uzbek gymnast (World C'ship gold USSR Parallel bars 1966; Olympic silver team 1964, 68; bronze vault 1968), dies at 80
  • Mar 11 Emilio Correa, Cuban boxer (Olympic gold welterweight 1972; World C'ship gold 1974), dies at 70

O.J. Simpson (1947-2024)

Apr 10 American College/Pro Football HOF running back (Heisman Trophy 1968 USC; NFL MVP 1973; 5 × First-team All-Pro & Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills), broadcaster, and actor; found responsible Brown/Goldman deaths 1994, dies of prostate cancer at 76 [1]

O.J. Simpson

Ken Holtzman (1945-2024)

Apr 14 American baseball pitcher (2 x no hitters 1969, 71 Chicago Cubs; MLB All Star 1972-73, World Series 1972-74 Oakland A's), dies of heart disease at 78 [1]

Ken Holtzman



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