Sports world said goodbye to greats

By David Mullen

The impact on the Dallas Cowboys family was particularly profound as noted players and coaches from their past died in 2022. The sports world also mourned the passing of baseball’s greatest broadcaster, a pro basketball icon and the featured player in the most celebrated play in NFL history.  

Cowboys who passed away include player and coach Dan Reeves, 77; 1960’s All Decade Team lineman Ralph Neely, 78 and Hall of Fame offensive tackle Rayfield Wright, 76. A member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, running back Don Perkins, died at 84. Marion Barber III, who made the Pro Bowl in 2007, died of heat stroke at 38. Cowboys 2013 second round draft choice Gavin Escobar, 31, and coaches Gary Brown, 52, and Ernie Zampese, 86, passed away in 2022.

Other sports personalities with local ties that passed away include Bruton Smith, 95, founder of Texas Motor Speedway; TCU star and later Baylor and Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Guy Morriss, 71; Texas Lady Longhorns record-setting basketball player Tiffany Jackson, 37; and former TCU player Kent Waldrep Jr., 67, who was paralyzed on the football field and became an activist for the disabled.

Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach died suddenly on December 12 at 61. He was the head coach at Mississippi State at the time. Odessa Permian head football coach Gary Gaines, featured in the book Friday Night Lights, died in Lubbock at 73.

Baseball lost two pioneers of journalism — one of the written words and the other of the spoken words. Roger Angell, who penned the noted baseball book The Summer Game, died at 101. And the legendary voice of baseball, Vin Scully, died on August 2 at 94. Renowned for his storytelling and personable demeanor, Scully broadcast the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers for 67 years and is in the broadcast wing of Baseball’s Hall of Fame. 

Not as familiar as Scully by name, but unmistakable for his Panama hat, radar gun and seat behind home plate at Dodger Stadium, Mike Brito, a scout for Los Angeles for 45 years, died at 87. The Dodgers also lost two-time NL batting champion Tommy Davis, 83, and prolific base stealer and MVP shortstop Maury Wills, 89.

San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers Hall of Fame pitcher and accused spit-baller Gaylord Perry died on December 1 at the age of 84. Perry won a Cy Young Award in both leagues. Tom Browning, the only Cincinnati Reds pitcher to throw a perfect game, died at 62. Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter died at 69 and 1950 Philadelphia Phillies Whiz Kid Curt Simmons died at 93.

Just four days before the Pittsburgh Steelers marked the 50th anniversary of his touchdown in the “Immaculate Reception” by retiring his jersey, Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris died unexpectedly on December 20. Harris was the heart of the great Steelers Super Bowl champion teams of the 1970s. He was 72.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame lost other members in Washington Redskins wide receiver Charley Taylor, 80, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, 87, and halfback Hugh McElhenny, 93. 

A few years ago, I played in an NFL Alumni golf tournament in Thackerville, Okla. At the 19th hole, I joined former Green Bay Packers star Donny Anderson and NFL Hall of Fame and New York Jets wide receiver Don Maynard. The three of us told stories, but it was difficult to match anecdotes with two men who had played in and won Super Bowl I and II (Anderson) and Super Bowl III (Maynard). On January 10, Maynard died at 86.

Oakland Raiders star quarterback Daryle Lamonica, 80, known as the “Mad Bomber,” died on April 22. My first ever sports interview — for my high school newspaper — was with future Pro Football Hall of Fame punter Oakland’s Ray Guy. The NFL’s greatest punter died on November 3 at 72.

Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens defender turned “NFL on Fox” TV personality, Tony Siragusa, 55, Boston Patriots great Gino Cappelletti, 89, and quarterback John Hadl, 82, best known leading the passing attack of the San Diego Chargers, passed away. The last player to wear No. 00, Ken Burrough, 70, and Chargers running back Lionel “Little Train” James, 59, also died. 

Other football losses include Ross Browner, 67, Greg Robinson, 70, and Dwayne Haskins, 24, a star at Ohio State. The Jets lost stars Marvin Powell, 67, and Jim Sweeney, 60. Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley, 90, and coach and executive John McVay, 91 died three days apart in late October.

Many consider Bill Russell the greatest NBA player of all-time. He led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships. He was a five-time NBA MVP, coach and broadcaster and a leader in social justice. Russell died on July 31 at 88. The NBA honored Russell’s number 6 throughout the 2022-23 season. 

Power forward and head coach Paul Silas died at79. Another great big man, Bob Lanier, died at 73. And Greg Lee, guard on the John-Wooden-coached UCLA teams that won 88 straight games and two national titles, died at 70. Coaches Gene Shue, 90, Bill Fitch, 89, Joe Williams, 87, Lee Rose, 85, and Joe B. Hall, 93, also passed away. 

The first woman drafted by the NBA, Delta State star and USA Olympian Lusia Harris, died at 66. The wonderful film chronicling her life, “The Queen of Basketball,” won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

Two greats of hockey — Montreal Canadian Guy Lafluer, 70, and New York Islander Mike Bossy, 65, — died in 2022. Bossy’s teammates Clark Gillies, 67, and Jean Potvin, 72, also died. Hockey lost longtime Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Swede Borje Salming, 71, and player coach and GM Emile “The Cat” Francis at 95.

In golf, 16-time PGA tour winner and 1973 British Open winner Tom Weiskopf died on August 20 at 79. Pro golfers Bob Goalby, 92, Eduardo “El Gato” Romero, 67, Dow Finsterwald, 93, and Dale Douglass, 86, also died. 

Kathy Whitworth, 88, whose 88 wins is more than any other single golfer on any professional tour, died on Christmas Eve. Shirley Spork, a gifted teaching pro and one of the founders of the LPGA Tour, died at 94.

Mills Lane was not only a fight judge but was also a judge in a Nevada District Court. Lane died in Reno at 85. Boxing also lost hard punching knockout artist Earnie Shavers at 78.

Tennis coach Nick Pelletier, died at 91. The first woman to successfully climb Mount Everest and Lhotse in a 24-hour period, Hilaree Nelson, died at 49. Pro angler Ray Scott, 88, bodybuilder Cedric McMillan, 44, Midget Car racer Bobby East, 37, UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar, 45, and wrestler Scott Hall, 63, better known as Razor Ramon, all passed away in 2022.

In sports media, sportscaster Fred Hickman died at 66. Hickman teamed with Nick Charles to anchor the first “Sports Tonight” on CNN in 1980. NFL writer and ESPN analyst John Clayton, 67, and ESPN NFL and horse racing handicapper Hank Goldberg, 82, died. The New York Times sports journalist Robin Hermann, died at 70. Hermann won a court battle to become first female reporter allowed to conduct interviews in a men’s locker room. 

On December 2, while covering the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, writer Grant Wahl died from cardiac arrest. A bestselling author, Wahl worked at Sports Illustrated for 25 years but was best known for enlightening a skeptical American audience about the nuances of soccer. Wahl was 48. The Cowboys had a particularly tough year off the field, but Dallas fans and admirers all of sports can appreciate the fond memories and golden moments left behind.