Sports obituaries

[sox83cubs84]

Ted Thompson, a LB for 10 years with the Houston Oilers, and later an NFL executive for 13 years, died on 1/22 at age 68.

Thompson spent 1975-84 on the Oilers' roster, and in addition to playing linebacker, he also had a very brief stint with the team in 180 where he acted as a kicker, going 4-for-4 in extra point attempts.

After that, he spent 13 seasons in the Packers' front office as VP/GM/Director of Football Operations, and was part of a Super Bowl winner in that time.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Hy Cohen, a RHP who appeared in 7 games (1 of them as a starter) died on 2/4, 6 days after his 90th birthday.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Doug Wikerson, a guard in the AFC for 15 seasons, all but the first with the Chargers, died on 2/22 at age 73.

Wilkerson, whose rookie season was spent with the Oilers, was named to 3 AFC Pro Bowl teams and selected once for the All-Pro Team. He wore uniform #63 for his entire NFL career.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Norm Sherry, a C who played for 5 years in the NL, died on 3/8 at age 89.

Sherry began his career in the Bigs with the 1959 World Series Champion Dodgers alongside his brother Larry, a main cog in the Dodgers relief corps. He remained with Los Angeles through 1962, before playing his last season in 1963 as a Met.

After that he spent numerous years in the Majors as a coach. He also spent portions of the 1976 and 1977 seasons as the manager of the California Angels.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Howard Schnellenberger, a coach for over a half century in both college football and the NFL, died over the weekend at age 87.

He was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1973 and part of 1974, this after he was hired away from Miami, for whom he was offensive coordinator for the undefeated, untied 1972 team. He also guided a once-awful Miami Hurricanes NCAA team, which became a successful program after his arrival, to an NCAA Championship during his tenure there.

He left to coach a Miami entry in the then-new USFL, but the team never got off the ground, and he returned to coaching in the college ranks. His final stop was at Florida Atlantic, spending a decade there before his retirement in 2011. The team's home field was later renamed in his honor.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

[sox83cubs84]

Mike Davis, a DB who played for the Raiders in both Oakland and Los Angeles from 1978-85 and was a contributor to two Super Bowl Championship teams there died over the weekend at age 65.

Davis returned an interception for a TD in 1982. He attempted a comeback with the Chargers in 1987, appearing in 8 games before hanging his cleats up for good after the season.

Dave M.