Sports Fans Mourn Death of Carl Weathers, Who Played Apollo Creed in ‘Rocky’ Films
On Thursday, two cultural worlds—the sports world and the entertainment world—lost a larger-than-life icon.
Carl Weathers has died at the age of 76, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy. On the football field, he played two seasons for the Oakland Raiders from 1970 to ’71. Off it, he acted in three Rocky films, Arrested Development, The Mandalorian, and countless other movies and TV shows.
It came as no surprise, then, that his death triggered an outpouring of mourning. Numerous athletes, actors and observers took to social media to share what the New Orleans native meant to them.
Comedy great Adam Sandler, who co-starred with Weathers in Happy Gilmore, was particularly complimentary.
Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson expressed his condolences.
Former Baylor and NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III shared a montage of Weathers in his most famous role—as Rocky Balboa's friend and rival Apollo Creed.
Wrestling great and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura fondly recalled working with Weathers on Predator.
The former Raiders linebacker received a tribute from his old team.
Many noted Creed as being among the most compelling film characters ever.
It's clear that, despite his abbreviated NFL career, Weathers had a considerable impact on sports through the sheer gravitas of his Rocky performance.
