The News looks back at the notable sports figures we lost in 2020

Phil Niekro, knuckleball master who won 318 games and was a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star. Dec. 26. He was 81.

Kevin Greene, Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Rams and Steelers who had the third-most sacks in NFL history. Dec. 21. He was 58.

James Reynolds, long-time Detroit King football coach and winningest coach in PSL history. Dec. 12. He was 75.

Paolo Rossi, Italian soccer legend won won the 1982 World Cup. Dec. 9. He was 64.

Texas coach Fred Akers, right, coached the Texas Longhorns, amassing an 86-31-2 record in 10 seasons. Dec. 7. He was 82.

Dick Allen, slugger in Major League Baseball for 15 seasons, mostly with the Phillies. Dec. 7. He was 78.

Peter Allis, legendary golf broadcaster and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Dec. 5. He was 89.

Pat Patterson, wrestling legend and member of the WWE Hall of Famer who was the first openly gay wrestler. He worked for the WWE for decades, in a variety of roles. Dec. 2. He was 79,

Bob Miller, Detroit native, MLB pitcher for 10 seasons (including with the 1950 'Whiz Kids' Phillies team) and a University of Detroit baseball coach for nearly four decades. Nov. 27. He was 94.

Diego Armando Maradone, Argentine soccer great who won the 1986 World Cup. Nov. 25. He was 60.

Terry Duerod, legendary basketball player for Detroit Mercy who went on to play for the Pistons and then become a Detroit city firefighter. Nov. 13. He was 64.

Paul Hornung, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame "Golden Boy" who rushed, received, played quarterback and kicked, died Friday. He was 84.

Titus Davis, legendary receiver at Central Michigan. Nov. 11. He was 27.

Nancy Darsch, women's basketball coach who led Ohio State to the 1993 championship game and also coached in the WNBA. Nov. 2. She was 68.

Billy Tubbs, long-time head men's basketball coach at Oklahoma who also coached at Lamar twice and TCU. Nov. 1. He was 85.

Herb Adderley, legendary Michigan State and Pro Football Hall of Fame halfway who won three Super Bowls and is in the MSU Hall of Fame. Oct. 30. He was 81.

Bill Fundaro, Tigers usher for 50-plus years who earned the nickname "Foul Ball Billy" for his perch behind home plate at Tiger Stadium. He also was a long-time teacher and coach in Metro Detroit. Oct. 25. He was 77.

Peter Secchia, West Michigan businessman, GOP fundraiser and long-time Michigan State athletics booster. Oct. 21. He was 83.

Tom Yewcic, two-sport All-American at MSU who is the only man to win a Rose Bowl and MVP of the College World Series. Oct. 20. He was 88.

Derryl Cousins, long-time Major League Baseball umpire. Oct. 20. He was 74.

Merritt Norvell, athletic director at Michigan State from 1995-99. Oct. 19. He was 79.

Barbara Gibson, mother of Tigers legend Kirk Gibson and a long-time speech and drama teacher at Clarkston High School. Oct. 11. She was 89.

Joe Morgan, Hall of Fame second baseman. He was a two-time NL Most Valuable Player with the Cincinnati Reds, and the sparkplug for "The Big Red Machine," which would World Series in 1975 and 1976. Five-time Gold Glove winner. Oct. 11. He was 77.

Whitey Ford, legendary Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Yankees. Oct. 8. He was 91.

Mary Bottaro, the field-hockey coach at Central Michigan in the 1970s and 1980s, died at 93.

Ron Perranoski, one of the Dodgers' greatest left-handed relievers of all-time who attended Michigan State and also pitched for the Tigers. Oct. 2. He was 84.

Bob Gibson, a dominating pitcher who won a record seven consecutive World Series starts and set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with a 1.12 ERA. Oct. 2. He was 84.

Jay Johnstone, who was a two-time World Series champion with Yankees and Dodgers. Sept. 26. He was 74.

Jim Whymer, longtime sports editor of the Port Huron Times-Herald who was a champion of prep sports in Michigan. Sept. 24. He was 64.

Gale Sayers, legendary Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears. Sept. 23. He was 77.

Road Warrior Animal, long-time professional wrestler, for WWF and WCW, and one half of the Road Warriors tag team. Joseph Laurinaitis also was the father of Ohio State and NFL star James Laurinaitis. Sept. 22. He was 60.

Walt Owens, who played for the Detroit Stars of the Negro Leagues and coached in Detroit for 22 years before going on to a lengthy career at Northern Illinois. Sept. 20. He was 87.

Al Langlois, NHL defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens who also played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1963-65. Sept. 19. He was 85.

Ian Miskelley, member of the Michigan swimming and diving team. Sept. 7. He was 19.

Mike Sexton, poker Hall of Famer and commentator. Sept. 6. He was 72.

Lou Brock, Hall of Fame baseball player mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals who retired as the all-time stolen-base leader. Sept. 6. He was 81.

David "Smokey" Gaines, head basketball coach at Detroit Mercy from 1977-79, later head coach at San Diego State and a Harlem Globetrotter alum. Sept. 5. He was 80.

Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame pitcher most notably for the New York Mets, and a member of the 300-win club. Aug. 31. He was 75.

John Thompson, Hall of Fame men's basketball coach, led Georgetown to the NCAA title in 1984. Thompson became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Led the Hoyas to 596 victories in 27 seasons. Aug. 30. He was 78.

Demetreus Gore (33), former Michigan Mr. Basketball out of Deroit Chadsey in 1984. Gore was a four-year starter at Pitt, leading the Panthers in scoring as a sophomore (16.1 points). Averaged 12.7 points while at Pitt. Aug. 30. He was 54.

Cliff Robinson, long-time big won who played 18 seasons in the NBA including two with the Pistons. Aug. 29. He was 53.

Chadwick Boseman, acclaimed actor who played Jackie Robinson in "42" as well as Black Panther. Aug. 28. He was 43.

Lute Olson, Hall of Fame college basketball coach most known for coaching a powerhouse Arizona program, and who also coached Iowa. Aug. 27. He was 85.

Greg Montgomery, legendary Michigan State punter who also played in the NFL, including briefly with the Lions. Aug. 23. He was 55.

Vartan Kupelian, Detroit News sportswriter from 1971-2009 who was a legendary golf writer. Aug. 20. He was 73.

Dale Hawerchuk, Hockey Hall of Famer with the Winnipeg Jets. Aug. 18. He was 57.

Herb Orvis, Flint high-school standout, College Football Hall of Famer (Colorado) and a former Detroit Lions first-round pick. Aug. 14. He was 73.

James Harris, better known as Kamala, a long-time wrestler who rose to fame with WWE. Aug. 9. He was 70.

Jamie Samuelsen, long-time fixture in Detroit sports-media scene who was a host at 97.1 The Ticket since 2012. Aug. 1. He was 48.

Wilford Brimley, long-time actor who played Pop Fisher, manager of the fictional New York Knights, in "The Natural." Aug. 1. He was 85.

John McNamara, long-time major-league manager who led six teams, most notably the Boston Red Sox when they came within an out of winning the 1986 World Series. July 28. He was 88.

Eddie Shack, who won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s after refusing a trade to the Red Wings. July 26. He was 83.

Lou Henson, former college basketball coach who led New Mexico State and Illinois to the Final Four and collected more than 800 career victories. July 25. He was 88.

John Blake, former Oklahoma football player and coach who was the school's first Black head coach in any sport. July 23. He was 59.

Carlton Haselrig, former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl right guard who also set an NCAA wrestling record with six individual championships. July 22. He was 54.

Stanley Robinson, former Connecticut basketball player who helped lead his team to the Final Four at Ford Field in 2009. July 21. He was 32.

Tony Martin, Saginaw track star and a member of the track-and-field team at Michigan State. July 19. He was 19.

Rick Reed, Detroit native and long-time major-league umpired who worked the first game at Comerica Park in 2000. July 16. He was 70.

Tony Taylor, major-league infielder for 19 years who played for the Tigers from 1971-73. July 14. He as 84.

Bill Gilbreth, pitcher for the Tigers from 1971-72. July 12. He was 72.

Frank Bolling, major-league second baseman for 12 seasons, including with the Tigers from 1954-60. July 11. He was 88.

Tom Vaughn, safety for the Lions from 1965-71. July 5. He was 77.

Derrick Otim (33), former Detroit City FC midfielder/forward. Helped DCFC reach the National Premier Soccer League national semifinal in 2017. July 3. He was 24.

Joe Bugel, former Washington assistant and offensive line coach. Architect of "The Hogs," the dominant offensive lines that helped lead the team to three Super Bowls under Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs. Was also the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals (1990-93) and Oakland Raiders (1997). June 28. He was 80.

Jim Kiick, running back for the Miami Dolphins during their perfect season in 1972. June 20. He was 73.

Real Turcotte, who played four years at Michigan State and went on to form a legendary hockey school that worked with generations of future NHL stars. June 59. He was 79.

Claudell Washington, two-time All-Star outfielder who played 17 seasons in the majors after being called up as a teenager by the Oakland Athletics. June 10. He was 65.

Ken Riley, former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback. Also a coach and athletic director at Florida A&M. Riley played 15 seasons (1969-83) for the Bengals as a defensive back, with 65 career interceptions for 596 yards and five touchdowns – all franchise records. The interceptions rank fifth in NFL history. June 7. He was 72.

Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world championship gold medal. Won America Cup three times. June 5. He was 64.

Johnny Majors, former college football coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. Won a national title at Pitt in 1976, and guided Tennessee (his alma mater) to three Southeastern Conference titles during a 16-year run with Volunteers (1977-92) in which he was 116-62-8. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987. June 3. He was 85.

Wes Unseld, a former NBA rookie of the year and MVP who led Washington to its only NBA championship. He also later coached and was GM of the franchise, and was GM when Chris Webber was traded to Sacramento. June 2. He was 74.

Pat Dye, former Auburn football coach from 1981-92. Third-most wins in Auburn history. Dye’s overall coaching record was 153-62-5 in 17 years at Auburn, Wyoming and East Carolina. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. June 1. He was 80.

Eddie Sutton, Hall of Fame college basketball coach. Led three teams to the Final Four. First coach to lead four teams (Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State) to the NCAA Tournament. He was 806-328 in 37 seasons as a Division I head coach — not counting vacated victories or forfeited games -- and made it to 25 NCAA Tournaments. May 23. He was 84.

Jerry Sloan, legendary coach of the NBA's Utah Jazz and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. May 22. He was 78.

Ashley Cooper, Australian tennis star who won four Grand Slam singles titles. May 21. He was 83.

Shad Gaspard, former WWE wrestler. One half of the tag-team group Cryme Tyme, along with his partner, JTG. May 17. He was 39.

Phyllis George, former sports broadcaster for CBS' "The NFL Today" from 1975-84, and a former Miss America. May 14. She was 70.

John Teerlinck, longtime NFL defensive line coach, including for the Lions from 1995-96. May 10. He was 69

Don Shula, pro football's all-time winningest head coach. Led the Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973, including an unbeaten season in 1972. Former Lions defensive coordinator from 1960-62. Inducted into the Pro Footbal Hall of Fame in 1997. May 4. He was 90.

Matt Keough, former major-league pitcher for the Oakland Athletics (1977-83), New York Yankees (1983), St. Louis Cardinals (1985), Chicago Cubs (1986) and Houston Astros (1986). He was an All-Star in 1978, and won the American League's Comeback Player of the Year in 1980. He was later an executive for the A's. May 2. He was 64.

Bobby Winkles, legendary Arizona State baseball coach who won three national championships before managing the Angels and A's (here he is managing the Angels for Nolan Ryan's no-hitter in Detroit in 1973). April 17. He was 90.

Howard Finkel, legendary ring announcer for the WWF (and what now is the WWE). April 16. He was 69.

Willie Davis, Hall of Fame defensive end for the Green Bay Packers. April 15. He was 85.

Hank Steinbrenner, Yankees general partner and son of late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. April 14. He was 63.

Tarvaris Jackson, NFL quarterback who played for the Seahawks, Vikings and Bills. April 12. He was 36.

Doug Sanders, PGA Tour player who won 20 times and finished runner-up at the 1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township. April 12. He was 86.

Stirling Moss, legendary British race-car driver in the Formula One circuit. April 12. He was 90.

Tom Webster, former NHL and coach of the Kings and Rangers who played with the Red Wings from 1970-72. April 10. He was 71.

Carmen Williamson, top U.S. amateur box in the 1940s and '50s who in in 1984 became the first black boxing referee and judge at the Olympics. He also worked for the Army in Warren for 40 years. April 8. He was 94.

Al Kaline, legendary Tigers right fielder, broadcaster and front-office executive who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He led the Tigers to the 1968 World Series championship. April 6. He was 85.

Bobby Mitchell, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who was Washington's first black player. April 5. He was 84.

Tom Dempsey, a New Orleans Saints kicker who kicked a then-NFL record 63-yard field goal as time expired to defeat the Detroit Lions in 1970. April 4. He was 73.

Ed Farmer, longtime Chicago White Sox broadcaster who pitched for the Tigers in 1973. April 1. He was 70.

Frank Maloney, Michigan center and guard from 1959-61 who went on to coach under Bo Schembechler before becoming head coach at Syracuse. March 30. He was 79.

Dwight Jones, star basketball player at Holy Redeemer in the 1960s and a coach and administrator at Detroit Mumford since the early 1970s. March 29. He was 73.

Fred "Curly" Neal, legendary member of the Harlem Globetrotters. March 26. He was 77.

Bob Allison, long-time radio host in Metro Detroit and host of "Bowling for Dollars" in the 1970s. March 25. He was 87.

Woody Widenhofer (right), a long-time football coach who had stints at Michigan State, Eastern Michigan and the Lions. March 22. He was 77.

Roger Mayweather, uncle and former trainer of Floyd Mayweather and a Grand Rapids native. March 17. He was 58.

Chris Reed, a three-time Olympian and 10-time ice dancing champion of Japan who trained for years in Canton. March 14. He was 30.

Galen Head, right-winger who was drafted by the Red Wings and ended up playing one game for them, in 1967-68. March 14. He was 72.

Jarrod Patterson, third baseman for the Tigers in 2001. March 11. He was 46.

War Emblem, winner of the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. March 11. He was 21.

Henri Richard, legendary center who won 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, including scoring the clinching goal against the Red Wings in 1966. March 6. He was 84.

Dick Tamburo, All-America center at Michigan State and part of the Spartans' 1952 national champion. Feb. 24. He was 90.

Pete Babando, Red Wings star and first NHL player to score an overtime goal in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final. Feb. 19. He was 94.

Mickey Wright, Hall of Fame golfer who won 82 LPGA tournaments, including 13 majors. Feb. 17. She was 85.

Tony Fernandez, longtime major-league shortstop, mosty with the Toronto Blue Jays. Feb. 16. He was 57.

Brian Glennie, NHL defenseman who mostly played with the Toronto Maple Leafs and played collegiately at Michigan State. Feb. 7. He was 73.

Dick Atha, a college basketball star at Indiana State who played briefly with the Detroit Pistons (1957-58). Feb. 6. He was 88.

Willie Wood, Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Green Bay Packers who played in the first two Super Bowls. Feb. 3. He was 83.

John Andretti, race-car driver and a member of one of the sport's most famous families. Jan. 30. He was 56.

Chris Doleman, Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker who spent most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Jan. 28. He was 58.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers legend who won five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and one regular-season MVPs. He was an 18-time NBA All-Star. He died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26. He was 41.

John Altobelli, long-time Orange Coast College baseball college who died in the helicopter crash that also killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Jan. 26. He was 56.

Jay Allen, public-address announcer for the Tigers at Comerica Park. Jan. 24. He was 60.

William "Bill" C. Davis, head football coach at Adrian College from 1968-72 and later an assistant coach at Michigan State. Jan. 18. He was 81.

Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who was the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Jan. 15. He was 75.

Joe Roberson, Michigan athletic director from 1994-97. Jan. 13. He was 84.

Charles Primas, Hall-of-Fame basketball player at Wayne State who went on to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. Jan. 12. He was 86.

David Glass, Walmart chief executive who owned the Kansas City Royals from 2000-19. Jan. 9. He was 84.

Pete Dye, legendary golf-course architect whose credits include Radrick Farms in Ann Arbor. Jan. 9. He was 94.

George Perles, Detroit native who went on to serve as Michigan State's football coach, athletic director and Board of Trustees member. Jan. 7. He was 85.

Sam Wyche, head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers who also was briefly a a Lions quarterback (1974). Jan. 2. He was 74.

Don Larsen, major-league pitcher and legendary Yankee who threw the only perfect game in World Series history. Jan. 1. He was 90.