Tragedies in Kansas City Chiefs history
November 14, 2020 at 11:31PM
The Kansas City Chiefs have endured tragedy since their inception:
Sept. 8, 1963: Stone Johnson, 23, an Olympic sprinter signed by Chiefs, suffered a broken neck while throwing a block on a kick return in an exhibition game on Aug. 30. He died nine days later.
Dec. 14, 1965: Mack Lee Hill, 25, an AFC All-Star as a running back, died from an embolism while undergoing surgery for a torn knee ligament.
Sept. 15, 1980: Jim Tyrer, 41, retired in 1974 after a storied career as a left tackle, killed his wife, Martha, and himself in a murder-suicide at the family home.
June 29, 1983: Joe Delaney, 24, AFC Rookie of Year in 1981, was home in Monroe, La., and drowned while trying to rescue three children struggling in a pond. He could not swim.
Feb. 8, 2000: Derrick Thomas, 33, Hall of Fame pass rusher, died while being treated for paralysis in Miami. Two weeks earlier he was driving to a K.C. airport at a fast speed in a snowstorm, crashed, was ejected from car and paralyzed.
Dec. 1, 2012: Javon Belcher, 25, a starting linebacker, shot and killed his 22-year-old girlfriend, Kassandra Perkins, then came to Arrowhead Stadium and killed himself by gunshot in the parking lot. Coach Romeo Crennel was there, trying to talk Belcher out of suicide.
The star forward came back from a brief injury absence, and two goals from Frederick Gaudreau helped Minnesota to another road victory.
