Sad time for professional sports

After all of the professional sports leagues were hit with the uncertainty of COVID last year and were forced to change almost every aspect about how they operate, some were hit with losses of revered colleagues. One of the most recent deaths was Louis Nix III, a former defensive tackle for the Houston Texans.

Nix was reported missing by family members on February 24, 2021. It was reported he was last seen leaving his father’s house driving a gray 2014 Hyundai. Nix’s family’s worse fears come to light on February 27 when his car was located and pulled from a pond near his home.

Incidents surrounding Nix’s death are unclear, and his mother is screaming for her questions to be answered. As of yet, officials have not been able to give the grieving mother any clear information. In December 2020, Nix was shot in the chest during an armed robbery. It is unclear if the accident stems from the injuries sustained during the robbery.

Nix was a standout player for the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame but had trouble finding his footing in the NFL due to injuries.

Another shocking NFL death is Vincent Jackson, a former Wide Receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Initially, family members reported the 38-year-old missing on February 10, 2021. However, the missing persons was canceled on Friday after police located him at the Homewood Suites on February 12, and his wellbeing was confirmed.

Unfortunately, Jackson’s body was found on February 15 in the same hotel suite that cops had found him alive and healthy just three days prior. Law officials said there were no apparent signs of trauma, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

Friend and former teammate Mike Evans posted on Twitter to convey his feelings over the loss of Jackson. “V Jax thank you for everything I love you big bro. Praying for your family Rest in Paradise,” the Wide Receiver Evans posted.

Jackson began his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing from 2005 to 2011. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2011 to 2016.

The following are deaths that have hit professional sports in just the two short months that 2021 has had, so far.

Floyd Little, the Hall of Fame running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, died on Jan. 1. He was 78. No cause was given.

Paul Westphal, a Hall of Fame player who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and later coached in the league and in college, died on Jan. 2 at age 70 in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2020.

John Muckler, who coached four NHL teams, including the Rangers for four seasons, and won five Stanley Cup championships with the Oilers, was confirmed dead by the Oilers on Jan. 4. He was 86 Tommy Lasorda, one of baseball’s most colorful characters of the late 20th century, died on Jan. 7 at age 93, silencing a voice that could be both comical and profane but never boring.

Don Sutton, the Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died on Jan. 18 at the age of 75.

Ted Thompson, whose 13-year run as Green Bay Packers general manager included their 2010 Super Bowl championship season, died on Jan. 20. He was 68.

Hank Aaron withstood the deliberate obscurity in baseball’s Negro League and became an American icon by breaking a record that was arguably the most hallowed mark in sports at the time he broke it. He died on Jan. 22 at age 86.

Harthorne Wingo, the popular 6-9 forward for the Knicks’ championship team in 1973, died on Jan 23, the team announced. He was 73.

George Armstrong, who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s, died from heart complications on Jan. 24. He was 90.

John Chaney, one of the nation’s leading basketball coaches and a commanding figure during a Hall of Fame career at Temple, died on Jan. 29 at age 89.

Leon Spinks Jr., a former world heavyweight boxing champion who won gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and beat Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in 1978, died Feb. 5 at age 67 after battling prostate and other cancers.

Pedro Gomez, a longtime baseball correspondent for ESPN died unexpectedly at his home on February 7 at the age of 58.

Tom Konchalski, an extraordinary evaluator of basketball talent and the editor and publisher of High School Basketball Illustrated, died on February 8 at age 74 from a long battle with cancer.

Marty Schottenheimer, who won 200 regular-season games with four NFL teams thanks to his “Martyball” brand of smash-mouth football but regularly fell short in the playoffs, died on February 8 at the age of 77.

Irv Cross, the former NFL defensive back who became the first Black man to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, died on Feb. 28. He was 81 at the time of his death.