Two NFL Legends pass from our midst.

keets · April 6, 2020 4:05AM

Two members of the old guard from the NFL died this past weekend, Tom Dempsey and Bobby Mitchell.

Dempsey had a long, solid career as a place-kicker and is most remembered for his then record setting 63 yard field goal with the New Orleans Saints. He was old school and kicked straight-on as the era of soccer style kickers was over taking the NFL. Dempsey had the added advantage of having been born absent the toes on his kicking foot and used a special, shorter and flattened shoe. As a result of his birth defect/modified shoe and the length of his kick the NFL made several rules changes which are still in place today. He died as a result of COVID-19 at the age of 73.

Bobby Mitchell was a HOF receiver first for the Cleveland Browns and then for the Washington Redskins. A multi-talented athlete, he had an opportunity to choose MLB or the Olympics, but chose the NFL in the 1958 draft, subsequently being teamed with Jim Brown for the princely sum of $7,000/year. His rookie rushing average is still a Team record. He was traded to the Redskins for #1 overall pick Ernie Davis in 1962 and continued his stellar career. My memories from the mid-60's are of Sonny Jurgensen passing to Mitchell and Charley Taylor, what a dynamic offense. No details on cause of death have been reported.

Some interesting tid-bits:
--- Ernie Davis, who was the player traded for Bobby Mitchell, died of leukemia without playing a single down in the NFL. A Heisman Trophy winner at Syracuse, Jim Brown's alma mater, he became ill while prepping for the College all-star game and died a year later.

--- the three Redskins from the mid-60's all entered the HOF, Jugensen and Mitchell in 1983, Taylor in 1984.