Posted on 07/07/2011 10:12:53 AM PDT by EveningStar
As one of football's great tight ends, the Baltimore Colts' John Mackey used to bull his way past the goal line, dragging tacklers on his back. As the first president of the National Football League Players Association, he carried his brethren into the modern era of free agency and big-money contracts.
Mackey, whose off-the-field exploits were as important as his accomplishments on it, died Wednesday of frontal temporal dementia, a disease he had battled for 10 years, at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore. He was 69.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
ping
So young for such a legend to pass.
Prayers for the family.
Greatest player I ever saw. Wonderful guy too. So’s his wife. RIP.
He joins Johnny U again. RIP John.
69 is young.
NFL players have a very short life span. Sad.
Concussive damage?
Proto-type tight end in the days of my youth. He was an awesome, awesome football player. RIP
Same age as Unitas.
I hope football will eventually go the way of boxing. It’s just not worth playing.
RIP and God Bless to one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game of football.
Agree...watching him running with the ball in the open field was awesome..you could see DBs cringe as they came up to try and tackle him..
I read a biography of Unitas a couple of years ago. It was published around 2006. At that time, Mackey was pretty much “gone” mentally. I think Big John is much better off now and in a better place. It’s still sad. It was those Colts teams of the 60s that got me interested in football in the first place. RIP.
As a 50+ life long Baltimorean, who lived close enough to see the lights of Memorial Stadium from my house (just across Greenmount Ave, a bit south of 39th st), Mackey is the tight end who defined tight ends for me.
Yes. In this man’s case though he lived it fully times ten. :-).
69 is young.
NFL players have a very short life span. Sad.
It’s quite the blood sport. All for our entertainment.
Remember Mackey being interviewed about Johnny U. Mackey recalled dropping a deep pass that he should have had. The Baltimore crowd was ‘upset’. Back in the huddle Unitas called “same play”, looked at Mackey and told him to “silence the crowd”. Next play... Touchdown... what else?!
Great stuff! Both heros of mine!
RIP.
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