Shocking and Tragic Deaths of Sportsman (Part 3)
The players mentioned in the previous articles are those whose deaths came as a shock to the world. Other players who have passed away when they were on top of their game, or without warning, are discussed in this article, as well as following ones.
Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper were good friends. They enjoyed spending time with each other and, even though they were on different NFL teams, got along great. Nobody knew that they would spend even their last moments together. Smith, who played for the
Detroit Lions, and Cooper, who played for the Oakland Raiders, were reported missing on March 1, 2009. They had gone fishing, along with former University of South Florida players Nick Schuyler and Will Bleakly, on the morning of February 28 and never returned.
On March 2, the Coast Guard had located their capsized boat just off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, with only Schuyler clinging onto it for dear life. Even though the remaining missing persons were never found, all three have been presumed dead, after days
of searching yielded no results. Cooper was 26 and Smith was 29 at the time of death.
Chris Mims was the first round draft pick for the San Diego Chargers in 1992. Although he retired in 2000, fans were still remorseful when Mims was found dead in his apartment in Los Angeles, caused by an enlarged heart. Mims weighed in at 456 pounds when
he died. He was 38 years old.
Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and son Daniel were found dead in their home near Atlanta, Georgia on June 25, 2007. But police were not searching for a murderer. Crime Scene Investigators concluded that all three had died from a double-murder and suicide.
But who killed who? It may seem surprising, but Chris Benoit, a WWF and WWE wrestler who is also commonly known as “The Crippler,” strangled his wife and son before hanging himself. It seems that Benoit went into what is known as “roid rage,” from using bodybuilding
steroids which causes uncontrollable anger.
Aside from this, Benoit suffered from multiple concussions from wrestling and a failing marriage, which is why he murdered his wife on Friday after tying her up, his son on Saturday after drugging him, and hung himself on a weightlifting machine on Sunday.
Benoit had won multiple championships in the WWF and WWE with two in the WCW and three in the WWE. He is tied with Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Lex Luger, and Wahoo McDaniel for having the most reigns at five. He was 40 years old.
Known as one of the best safeties in the NFL, Washington Redskins’ Sean Taylor was called the hardest-hitting player in the NFL by
Sports Illustrated. After being chosen in the first round, fifth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Taylor had the second highest statistics for any defender on the his team in his rookie year. He was the top defender in subsequent years, in 2005 and 2006,
and, before his death in 2007, was tied for the most interceptions in the NFC, and the second highest in the NFL, even though he was out for two weeks with an injury.
On November 26, 2007, Taylor’s girlfriend, Jackie Mofett, called 911 saying that Taylor had been shot. He was flown to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, and underwent emergency surgery. After the operation, Taylor was in a coma and the doctors
were skeptical about his survival chances, saying that he had lost too much blood, which may have resulted in permanent brain damage. Taylor died on the morning of November 27 at the age of 24.
Police then released a statement, saying that Taylor had been shot in his femoral artery during an attempted robbery in his home, where he was staying for a couple of days with his girlfriend and 18-month-old daughter, Jackie. Police arrested five suspects,
who were charged with second and first degree murder, armed burglary, and home invasion with a deadly weapon. All five criminals face life sentences.
Other deplorable and dreadful deaths of players will be discussed in the next article.
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