SPORTSA look back at the notable sports deaths in 2019The Detroit NewsRusty Hilger, quarterback for the Lions (1988-89). Dec. 24. He was 57.Allen Steele, Getty ImagesEdward Aschoff, ESPN sports reporter. Dec. 24. He was 34.Associated PressHerman Boone, legendary high-school football coach in Virginia who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in "Remember the Titans." Dec. 18. He was 84.Associated PressHayden Fry, long-time head coach of Iowa football. Dec. 17. He was 90.Associated PressPete Frates, former college baseblal player who was diagnosed with ALS and who started the ice-bucket challenge that raised more than $200 million for ALS research. Dec. 9. He was 34.Elise Amendola, Associated PressBump Elliott, Michigan football player and head coach who preceded Bo Schembechler. He went on to become the longtime athletic director at Iowa. Dec. 7. He was 94.Detroit NewsDon Chiodo, veteran play-by-play voice for Central MIchigan football and basketball. Dec. 4. He was 54.FacebookPat Sullivan, Auburn quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 and went on to coach at TCU and Samford. Dec. 1. He was 69.Anthony Camerano, Associated PressHank Bullough, Michigan State star football player (1952-54) and later a coach (1959-69, 1994) who won national championships in both roles. Nov. 24. He was 85.Associated PressWill Brunson, long-time professional pitcher who briefly played for the Detroit Tigers (1998-99), and more recently was a scout. Nov. 23. He was 49.Scott Halleran, Getty ImagesCharles Rogers, Michigan State and Detroit Lions receiver was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Nov. 11. He was 38.Associated PressZachary Winston, U-D Jesuit alum, Albion College basketball player and brother of MSU star Cassius Winston. Nov. 9. He was 19.Anna AlbaughChuck Meriwether, long-time major-league umpire. Oct. 26. He was 63.Associated PressWillie Brown, pro football Hall-of-Famer with the Raiders. Oct. 22. He was 78.Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated PressEric Cooper, long-time major-league umpire. Oct. 20. He was 52.John T. Greilick, Detroit NewsDanny Grant, long-time NHL player who was with the Detroit Red Wings from 1974-78. Oct. 14. He was 73.Detroit NewsBill Bidwell, owner of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Oct.2. He was 88.Rob Schumacher, Associated PressNick Polano, Red Wings head coach from 1982-85 and later an assistant general manager. Sept. 27. He was 78.Detroit NewsHoward "Hopalong" Cassady, a legendary Ohio State halfback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1955 before a 10-year NFL career spent mostly with the Lions. Sept. 20. He was 85.Harold Valentine, Associated PressJohn Ralston, college football coach at Utah State and Stanford and of the Denver Broncos, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Sept. 14. He was 92.Associated PressAlex Grammas, Tigers third-base coach from 1980-91 and a long-time major-league player, coach and manager. Sept. 13. He was 93.Getty ImagesNeiron Ball, a linebacker for the University of Florida abd leader the Oakland Rapiders who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2018 and was a quadriplegic. Sept. 10. He was 27.Ben Margot, Associated PressFred McLeod, long-time former play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons who most recently called Cleveland Cavaliers game, of a heart attack. Sept. 9. He was 67.Lynn Ischay, Associated PressBrian Barnes, British golfer who in 1975 beat Jack Nicklaus twice in one day in Ryder Cup singles matches, from cancer. Sept. 9. He was 74.Associated PressChris Duncan, who played in the majors from 2005-09 for the Cardinals, including in the 2006 World Series win over the Tigers. Sept. 6. He was 38.Getty ImagesChace Numata, catcher with the Tigers' Double-A affiliate in Erie, from complications following a skateboarding accident. Sept. 2. He was 27.Erie SeaWolvesHal Naragon, long-time catcher and pinch-hitter in the major leagues and the bullpen coach for the 1968 World Series-champion Tigers. Aug. 31. He was 90.SABRAnthoine Hubert, French Formula 2 race-car driver, from an accident during a race. Aug. 31. He was 22.Thibault Camus, Associated PressJim Langer, Hall-of-Fame center and a member of the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. Aug. 29. He was 71.George Brich, Associated PressDonnie Greene, offensive tackle in the NFL, including with the Lions in 1978. Aug. 28. He was 71.Buffalo BillsVince Naimoli, original owner of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. Aug. 25. He was 81.Associatd PressBobby Dillon, Packers' all-time interception leader who had four against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day 1953. Aug. 22. He was 89.Associated PressTom Nissalke, who coached in the NBA and ABA (winning coach-of-the-year honors in both). In the NBA, he coached in New Orleans, Seattle, Houston and Cleveland. Aug. 22. He was 87.Getty ImagesJack Whitaker, legendary American sports broadcaster, including for CBS and ABC. Aug. 18. He was 95.Associated PressCedric Benson, running back for the University of Texas and three NFL teams, including the Chicago Bears, from a motorcycle accident. Aug. 17. He was 36.Adam Rountree, Associated PressCliff Branch, legendary wide receiver who won three Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders. Aug. 3. He was 71.Associated PressHarley Race, legendary professional wrestler known as "The King." Aug. 1. He was 76.Detroit NewsNick Buoniconti, Hall-of-Fame linebacker who led the Miami Dolphins to the NFL's only perfect season. July 30. He was 78.Robert Mayer, Tribune News ServiceMike Roarke, a backup catcher with the Tigers from 1961-64 before becoming a coach, including briefly a pitching coach with the Tigers. July 27. He was 88.Ed Maker, Getty ImagesArnie Brown, a defenseman who played in the NHL in the 1960s and 1970s, inlcluding two seasons with the Red Wings. July 26. He was 77.WikipediaDon Mossi, long-time major-league pitcher who played for the Tigers from 1959-63. July 19. He was 90.Detroit NewsPernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, Olympic gold-medalist boxer who regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, after being hit by a car. July 14. He was 55.Ron Frehm, Associated PressJoe Grzenda, major-league pitcher from 1961-72 who made four appearances for the Tigers in 1961. July 12. He was 82.ToppsJim Bouton, long-time major-league pitcher and Western Michigan alum who authored the controversial book "Ball Four" and later become a sportscaster. July 10. He was 80.Associated PressGreg Johnson, long-time center in the NHL who played for the Red Wings from 1993-97, and later the Predators, Penguins and Blackhawks. July 8. He was 48.George Walker IV, Associated PressJared Lorenzen, Kentucky quarterback and a backup on the New York Giants' Super Bowl-winning team in 2007. July 3. He was 38.Ed Reinke, Associated PressTyler Skaggs, pitch for the Los Angeles Angels. July 1. He was 27.Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated PressBill Halls, long-time Detroit News sportswriter. June 20. He was 86.Detroit NewsPat Bowlen, Denver Broncos owner, who suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. June 13. He was 75.Jack Dempsey, Associated PressFrank Lucchesi, manager of the Phillies, Rangers and Cubs. June 8. He was 92.Philadelphia InquirerJerry Krall, halfback and defensive back at Ohio State and then with the Detroit Lions (1950). June 2. He was 92.Detroit NewsBill Buckner, 22-year major-leaguer who was best known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, of complications of dementia. May 27. He was 69.Getty ImagesBart Starr, Hall-of-Fame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. May 26. He was 85.AssociateNiki Lauda, three-time Formula One world champion, right. May 20. He was 70.Nuck Ut, Associated PressAshley Massaro, professional wrestler with the WWE. May 16. She was 39.WWEEarle Robinson, legendary sports radio broadcaster who covered Michigan State sports for WKAR. May 13. He was 71.WKARGunther Cunningham, long-time football coach and the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator from 2009-13, of cancer. May 11. He was 72.Daniel Mears, Detroit NewsHarold Lederman, long-time boxing judge and HBO commentator and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. May 11. He was 79.HBOCésar Cuauhtémoc González Barrón, a wrestler best-known as Silver King from his time in the WCW who also appeared in the movie, "Nacho Libre," of a heart attack in the ring. May 11. He was 51.WWEDick Tomey, longtime college football coach who was the winningest coach in Arizona history and who also coached at Hawaii and San Jose State. May 10. He was 80.Paul Sakuma, Associated PressDavid Montgomery, longtime Phillies executive and a minority owner. May 8. He was 72.Associated PressJumpin Jackie Jackson, 20-year member of the Harlem Globetrotters. May 4. He was 79.Harlem GlobetrottersRed Kelly, Hall-of-Fame Detroit Red Wings defenseman whose No. 4 is retired at Little Caesars Arena. May 2. He was 91.Associated PressGino Marchetti, Hall-of-Fame defensive end who led the Baltimore Colts win consecutive NFL championships in the late 1950s. April 29. He was 93.APMarvin Daniel “Danny” LaRose, offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions in the early 1960s. April 27. He was 80.Detroit LionsJohn Havlicek, Boston Celtics legend and Basketball Hall-of-Famer. April 25. He was 79.Associated PressBrenda Jackson, mother of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a long-time employee at JR Motorsports, of cancer. April 22. She was 65.Chuck Burton, Associated PressJohn MacLeod, longtime coach of the Phoenix Suns who led the team to the 1976 NBA Finals, from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. April 14. He was 81.Kevin Rivoli, Associated PressSam "Sonny" Taub, former basketball coach and athletic director at Detroit Mumford High School who guided the team to the state semifinals in 1969. April 13. He was 89.Special To Detroit NewsForrest Gregg, legendary offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers who won three Super Bowls as a player before he went on to become a head coach in the league. April 12. He was 85.Paul Shane, Associated PressScott Sanderson, Dearborn native and major-league pitcher from 1978-96 who later went on to become an agent. April 11. He was 62.Associated PressMarilynn Smith, World Golf Hall of Fame member and founder of the LPGA Tour. April 9. She was 89.Associated PressArie Irawan, Malaysian professional golfer, of natural causes. April 7, He was 28.Vincent Thian, Associated PressJoe Bellino, a halfback and Heisman Trophy winner from Navy (1960) who was nicknamed the "Winchester Rifle" and played three seasons with the New England Patriots after his military commitment. March 28. He was 81.Harry Harris, Associated PressKeyonta Marshall, All-America defensive lineman who won two national championships at Grand Valley State. March 22. He was 37.Grand Valley AthleticsMike Cofer, Lions linebacker from 1983-93 who was a Pro Bowl selection in 1988. March 21. He was 58.Detroit News ArchivesCoutinho, a Brazilian soccer star who was a member of the 1962 World Cup winner and who Pele considered his favorite attacking partner. March 11. He was 75.Andre Penner, Associated PressJulia Ruth Stevens, the last surviving daughter of slugger Babe Ruth. March 9. She was 102.Michael Dwyer, Associated PressHarry Howell, NHL Hall-of-Fame defenseman with the New York Rangers. March 9. He was 86.Seth Wenig, Associated PressFreeda George Forman, the daughter of former heavyweight champion George Foreman and briefly a boxer herself. March 8. She was 42.Laura Rauch, Associated PressFrank Joranko, who won nine letters at Albion College before going on to a long career as a coach (footbal, baseball) and administrator. March 7. He was 88.Albion College AthleticsChristopher Pallies, AKA professional wrestler King Kong Bundy, who performed at WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987. March 4. He was 61.David Coates, Detroit NewsTed Lindsay, Red Wings legend who won four Stanley Cups with Detroit. March 4. He was 93.Detroit NewsKendric Price, Michigan basketball player from 2005-07, from a shooting. March 2. He was 32.Michigan AthleticsLulu Harwell, the widow of legendary Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell. March 1. She was 99.Steve Perez, Detroit NewsDon Newcombe, long-time pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Feb. 19. He was 92.Mark J. Terrill, Associated PressGene Littler, professional golfer who won 29 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township. Feb. 15. He was 88.Associated PressRick Rasnick, head football coach at Eastern Michigan from 1995-99, from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Feb. 13. He was 59.Eastern Michigan AthleticsRon Hughes, a long-time member of the Lions front office who was part of the player-personnel department from 1982-2000. Feb. 12. He was 75.Detroit LionsPedro Morales, professional wrestler who spent some time in the WWF and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. Feb. 12. He was 76.WWEDick Kempthorn, former Michigan fullback who was a team captain and member of the 1947 and 1948 national-championship teams who went on to a successful career in business. Feb. 8. He was 92.WikipediaDavid Williams, Detroit Mumford alum, athletic director at Vanderbilt and the first black athletic director in the SEC. Feb. 8. He was 71.Mark Humphrey, Associated PressJohn Dingell, long-time congressman serving southeast Michigan who also developed an epic Twitter persona, particularly when it came to his fandom for Michigan, the Tigers and other sports, of prostate cancer. Feb. 7. He was 92.Special To The Detroit NewsFrank Robinson, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame slugger, the game's first black manager, and later a league executive. Feb. 7. He was 83.Associated PressJoe Presko, major-league pitcher in the 1950s who spent the 1957 and 1958 seasons with the Tigers. Feb. 5. He was 90.Detroit NewsMatti Nykanen, four time Olympic ski-jumping champion whose personal demons, particularly with alcohol, made him the subject of biographies and a film. Feb. 4. He was 55.Bob Pearson, Getty ImagesBob Friend, long-time pitcher for the Pirates who led the league in ERA in 1955. Feb. 3. He was 88.Associated PressAlice Dye, "first lady" of golf architecture and design whose courses include TPC of Sawgrass. Feb. 1. She was 91.Andy Lyons, Getty ImagesWade Wilson, former Vikings quarterback and Cowboys position coach. Feb. 1. He was 60.Al Messerschmidt, Getty ImagesPeter Magowan, long-time owner of the San Francisco Giants, of cancer. Jan. 27. He was 76.Eric Risberg, Associated PressJohn Coughlin, United States figure skater, of suicide. Jan. 18. He was 33.Getty ImagesGlen Wood, co-founder of Wood Brothers Racing. Jan. 18. He was 93.Sean Gardner, Getty ImagesJoe O'Donnell, Ann Arbor native, offensive guard at Michigan and in the NFL. Jan. 17. He was 77.Buffalo BillsMel Stottlemyre, major-league pitcher and pitching coach, of multiple myeloma. Jan. 13. He was 77.Jim McIsaac, Getty ImagesGus Ganakas, Michigan State basketball coach (1969-76) and broadcaster. Jan. 11. He was 92.Detroit News ArchivesJ.D. Gibbs, race-car driver and co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, of degenerative neurological disease. Jan. 11. He was 49.Mike Ehrmann, Getty ImagesRick Forzano, Detroit Lions head coach from 1974-76. Jan. 10. He was 90.Associated PressLenny Green, major-league outfielder including with his hometown Detroit Tigers (1967-68). Jan. 6. He was 86.Detroit News ArchivesKwamie Lassiter, NFL defensive back for several teams including the Arizona Cardinals, of a heart attack. Jan. 6. He was 49.Otto Greule Jr, Getty ImagesRick Down, Wyandotte native, major-leaguer and major-league hitting coach for several teams. Jan. 5. He was 68.Doug Benc, Getty ImagesAlex Smirnoff, professional wrestler (including with WWE), of kidney failure. Jan. 5. He was 71.Special To Detroit NewsGeorge Welsh, long-time football coach at Virginia. Jan. 2. He was 85.Julian H. Gonzalez, Getty Images"Mean" Gene Okerlund, legendary wrestling announcer for WWE and WCW. Jan. 2. He was 76.WWETyler Trent, Purdue student and Boilermakers super fan, of bone cancer. Jan. 1. He was 20.Michael Hickey, Getty Images