In Memoriam: Remembering Those in the Sports World We Lost in 2020

Before we say goodbye to 2020, which for most of us was a lousy year, a quick look back at some of the key figures from the world of sports who lost their lives, including former Alabama coach Ray Perkins.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

FRANK BOLLING - CLASS OF 1982

Born November 16, 1931 in Mobile, AL. Frank Bolling started his baseball career in 1951 and played on five minor league teams before playing for the Detroit Tigers from 1954-60. In 1958 and 1959 he led the American League in fielding. In 1958, he was awarded the Gold Glove Award. He played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1961-65. In 1961 and 1962 Bolling led the National League in fielding. He was selected four times as an All-Star in his career and his lifetime batting average was .256.

SIM BYRD - CLASS OF 2008

Born October 11, 1945 in Montgomery, AL. Sim Byrd played quarterback at Troy State (now Troy University) and led the team to the NAIA National Championship in 1968. That same season he led the NAIA in passing yards (3,042), completed 221 of 350 passes for 30 touchdowns and had a completion percentage of .643. He also led the nation in punting average with 45.4 yards per punt. He was a consensus First Team All-American in his division. For his career he threw for 7,092 yards, completed 536 of 860 passes for a pass completion percentage of .623, and threw for 68 touchdowns. He was named captain of the 1967 and 1968 squads and was selected Most Valuable Player of both the semi-final and championship games in 1968. He was the first Troy football player to participate in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. In 2005 he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.

PAUL CRANE - CLASS OF 1994

Born January 29, 1944 in Pascagoula, MS. In 1961, Paul Crane was named an All-State Center/Linebacker at Vigor High School. He signed with the University of Alabama and played in four bowl games under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. The teams of 1964 and 1965 were named National Champions. He was All-SEC in 1964 and 1965, and All-American in 1965. He played for seven years with the New York Jets (1966-73). He played with the 1969 Jets team that beat the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl. He was voted “Most Popular Jet” in 1970. From 1974-78, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama and from 1978-81 he was an assistant at Ole Miss. He is honored with the Paul Crane Offensive Lineman Award that is given each year at the end of spring practice.

PAT DYE - CLASS OF 1990

Born November 6, 1939 in Blythe, GA. Pat Dye was an All-American guard at the University of Georgia and was also named an Academic All-American. Following an Army tour of duty, he played two years in the Canadian Football League. In 1965, he joined the coaching staff of Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama where, during the next nine years, he was part of two national championships. After head coaching stops at East Carolina and Wyoming, he was named the head coach at Auburn University in 1981. During the 1980s, he established one of the premier programs in the country, winning or sharing four SEC titles with an 81-25 record. He retired from coaching at the end of the 1992 season.

KEVIN GREENE - CLASS OF 2002

Born July 31, 1962 in Schenectady, NY. Greene played collegiately at Auburn University and was drafted in 1985 by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round. He went on to play in the Pro Bowl five times, was chosen in 1996 as the NFC Linebacker of Year and received the prestigious George Halas Defensive Player of the Year award. He finished his career as the all-time NFL sack leader for linebackers and ranked third overall in career sacks with 160. He is one of three players to lead the NFL in sacks in multiple seasons (1994 with the Pittsburgh Steelers (14) and in 1996 with the Carolina Panthers (14.5)). He is one of only three players in the NFL to have 10 sacks per season for 10 years. He also played in Super Bowl XXX with Pittsburgh. In 2016, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

RAY PERKINS - CLASS OF 1990

Born November 6, 1941 in Mount Olive, MS. From 1964-66 he was a wide receiver at the University of Alabama. During this time, Alabama compiled a 30-2-1 record, including two national championships and three SEC titles. As a senior, he was team captain, SEC Player of the Year, and All-American. He played in two Orange Bowls and one Sugar Bowl, and set records in both. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts and played five years there. He played in Super Bowl III in 1969 and Super Bowl V in 1971 when the Colts were Super Bowl champions. In 1979, he was named head coach of the New York Giants. In 1983, he returned to the University of Alabama as head coach and coached there until 1986. He was later head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arkansas State University. He also coached for the Patriots, Browns, and Raiders.

KEN RICE - CLASS OF 2002

Born September 14, 1939 in Bainbridge, GA. Ken Rice played collegiately at Auburn University and was named a consensus All-American tackle his junior and senior year. He was twice named Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in the SEC, as well as Most Valuable Defensive Lineman, and was chosen All-SEC for three straight years. He captained Auburn’s 1960 team. He was the first player drafted in both the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) in 1960, playing seven years for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins. In 1961, he was selected to the first AFL All-Star team as a rookie. He was elected to the Auburn All-Century Team and was inducted into the Auburn Tiger Trail.

WILLIE SMITH - CLASS OF 1997

Born February 28, 1956 in Rochester, PA. Smith was the Track and Field News 1974 National High School Athlete of the Year at Uniondale High School on Long Island. He attended Auburn University where he ran the 100m and 400m. Along with fellow Auburn teammate Harvey Glance, he earned a spot representing the U.S. Track & Field team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He was a two-time NCAA 400-meter champion (1977 and 1978), and in 1978 earned Auburn University’s top honor as Athlete of the Year. After graduation, he won the U.S. 400-meter championship (1979, 1980) and the World Championship as a member of 4×400-meter relay team (1979-81). His hopes of an Olympic Gold Medal were ruined in 1980 when, after making the U.S. Team, he had to sit out the competition when the U.S. boycotted the games. However, he later won a gold medal as a member of the 4×400 relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

College Football Hall of Fame/National Football Foundation

Fred Akers

Head Football Coach

Wyoming, Texas, Purdue

March 17, 1938 – Dec. 7, 2020

LaDell Andersen

Athletics Director

Utah State University

Oct. 25, 1929 – Dec. 29, 2019

H. Jesse Arnelle

NFF Board Member

Prominent Attorney

Penn State University

Dec. 30, 1933 – Oct. 21, 2020

Edward Aschoff

ESPN College Football Reporter

Dec. 24, 1985 – Dec. 24, 2019

Jim Bartko

Athletics Director

Fresno State

May 13, 1965 – March 16, 2020

Bill Belknap

Athletics Director – Idaho, Wichita State

Commissioner – Southland Conference

March 18, 1939 – July 17, 2020

Ed Biles

Head Football Coach

Xavier University

Oct. 18, 1931 – April 5, 2020

John Blake

Head Football Coach

University of Oklahoma

March 6, 1961 – July 23, 2020

Morgan Burke

Athletics Director

Purdue University

Dec. 17, 1951 – June 15, 2020

* Marino Casem

2003 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

1998 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award

Head Football Coach – Alabama State, Alcorn State, Southern

Athletics Director – Alcorn State, Southern

June 23, 1934 – April 25, 2020

* Gene Corrigan

NFF Board Member

NFF Honors Court Chairman

1996 NFF Gold Medal

NCAA President

ACC Commissioner

Athletics Director – Washington and Lee (VA), Virginia, Notre Dame

April 14, 1928 – Jan. 24, 2020

Dick Coury

Head Football Coach

Cal State Fullerton

Sept. 29, 1929 – Aug. 15, 2020

* Fred Dean

2009 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Louisiana Tech University

Feb. 24, 1952 – Oct. 14, 2020

* Arthur J. Decio

2000 NFF Distinguished American Award

Skyline Corporation Chairman

DePaul University

Oct. 19, 1930 – Nov. 6, 2020

King Dixon

Athletics Director

University of South Carolina

Dec. 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020

* Rickey Dixon

2019 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Oklahoma

Dec. 26, 1966 – Aug. 1, 2020

Chris Dufresne

Los Angeles Times Sports Writer

California State University, Fullerton

April 11, 1958 – May 25, 2020

* Pat Dye

2005 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Head Football Coach – East Carolina, Wyoming, Auburn

Athletics Director – Auburn

Nov. 6, 1939 – June 1, 2020

* Hayden Fry

2003 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Head Football Coach – Southern Methodist, North Texas, Iowa

Athletics Director – Southern Methodist, North Texas

Feb. 28, 1929 – Dec. 17, 2019

Phyllis George

Sports Television Pioneer

June 25, 1949 – May 14, 2020

Glenna Goodacre

Renowned Sculptor

Aug. 28, 1939 – April 13, 2020

* W. C. Gorden

2008 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Head Football Coach, Athletics Director

Jackson State University

June 30, 1930 – Oct. 23, 2020

Lee Grosscup

Longtime ABC Sports College Football Broadcaster

Former Utah Football Player

Dec. 27, 1936 – June 1, 2020

Sid Hartman

Legendary Sports Journalist

March 15, 1920 – Oct. 18, 2020

* Paul Hornung

1985 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Notre Dame

Dec. 23, 1935 – Nov. 13, 2020

* Tom Jernstedt

2010 NFF Legacy Award

NCAA Executive

Nov. 24, 1944 – Sept. 5, 2020

Jim Jones

Athletics Director

Ohio State University

June 23, 1936 – April 22, 2020

T. Jones

Athletics Director

Texas Tech University

Jan. 10, 1931 – Sept. 15, 2020

John Kasser

Athletics Director

California, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State

c. 1937 – April 30, 2020

Phil Krueger

Head Football Coach

Fresno State, Utah State

Oct. 6, 1929 – June 22, 2020

Jim Lambright

Head Football Coach

University of Washington

April 26, 1942 – March 29, 2020

Roy Lester

Head Football Coach

University of Maryland

Oct. 3, 1923 – May 3, 2020

* Johnny Majors

1987 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee – University of Tennessee

Head Football Coach – Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee

May 21, 1935 – June 3, 2020

Frank Maloney

Head Football Coach

Syracuse University

Sept. 26, 1940 – March 30, 2020

Jimmie McDowell

Former NFF Executive Director

Sports Writer

2000 FWAA Bert McGrane Award

March 26, 1926 – March 5, 2020

Charlie Moore

Athletics Director

Cornell University

Aug. 12, 1929 – Oct. 8, 2020

Merritt Norvell

Athletics Director

Michigan State University

c. 1941 – Oct. 19, 2020

Murray Olderman

Sports Cartoonist and Writer

1991 FWAA Bert McGrane Award

March 27, 1922 – June 10, 2020

* Herb Orvis

2016 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Colorado

October 17, 1946 – August 14, 2020

Ray Perkins

Head Football Coach

Alabama, Arkansas State

Dec. 6, 1941 – Dec. 9, 2020

George Perles

Head Football Coach, Athletics Director

Michigan State University

July 16, 1934 – Jan. 7, 2020

Seaver Peters

Athletics Director

Dartmouth College

Aug. 10, 1932 – Feb. 23, 2020

* Loyd Phillips

1992 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Arkansas

May 2, 1945 – Dec. 27, 2020

* Bob Reade

1998 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Head Football Coach

Augustana College (IL)

July 22, 1932 – July 5, 2020

Ken Riley

Head Football Coach, Athletics Director

Florida A&M University

Aug. 6, 1947 – June 7, 2020

Joe Roberson

Athletics Director

University of Michigan

Sept. 22, 1935 – Jan. 13, 2020

* Bob Robertson

2004 NFF Schenkel Award

Voice of the Washington State Cougars

March 14, 1929 – Sept. 6, 2020

Pepper Rodgers

Head Football Coach

Kansas, UCLA, Georgia Tech

Oct. 8, 1931 – May 14, 2020

* Gale Sayers

1977 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee – University of Kansas

Athletics Director – Southern Illinois, Tennessee State

May 30, 1943 – Sept. 23, 2020

* Jack Scarbath

1983 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Maryland

Aug. 12, 1930 – Dec. 6, 2020

* Jake Scott

2011 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

University of Georgia

July 20, 1945 – Nov. 19, 2020

Chuck Shelton

Head Football Coach

Drake, Utah State, Pacific (CA)

Aug. 16, 1935 – Feb. 13, 2020

Don Shula

Legendary NFL Coach

John Carroll University (OH)

Jan. 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020

Dick Tamburo

Athletics Director

Texas Tech, Arizona State, Missouri

Feb. 6, 1930 – Feb. 24, 2020

Dick Trachok

Head Football Coach, Athletics Director

University of Nevada

Dec. 27, 1925 – Aug. 2, 2020

David Walker

Athletics Director

University of Louisiana

Sept. 3, 1950 – Dec. 31, 2019

Woody Widenhofer

Head Football Coach

Missouri, Vanderbilt

Jan. 20, 1943 – March 22, 2020

* Gov. William Winter

1983 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award

58th Governor of Mississippi

NFF Central Mississippi Chapter President

Feb. 21, 1923 – Dec. 18, 2020

Sam Wyche

Head Football Coach

Indiana University

Jan. 5, 1945 – Jan. 2, 2020

* Bill Yeoman

2001 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee

Head Football Coach

University of Houston

Dec. 26, 1927 – Aug. 12, 2020

* College Football Hall of Fame inductee or NFF Award recipient