Frank Ryan: The quarterback had a 52-22 record as a starter for the Cleveland Browns and threw 134 touchdowns. He died Jan. 1 at the age of 87. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Franz Beckenbauer: The German soccer legend also played for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League during the 1970s. He died Jan. 7 at the age of 78. (Bongarts/Getty Images)
Bud Harrelson: The shortstop, who died Jan. 10 at the age of 79, played 16 years in the major leagues, including 13 with the New York Mets. He also managed the Mets for two seasons. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Imagess)
Norm Snead: The quarterback (16) was a four-time Pro Bowl selection during his 16-year career in the NFL in the 1960s and 1970s. He died Jan. 14 at the age of 84. ( Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Ronald Powell: The linebacker, who played three seasons at the University of Florida and one season in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, died Jan. 16. He was 32. ( Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images )
Dejan Milojevic: The Golden State Warriors assistant died on Jan. 17 after suffering a heart attack the night before. He was 46. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jack Burke Jr.: The golfer, who won the 1956 Masters and captured 17 PGA Tour events during his career, died Jan. 19. He was 100. (Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
Jimy Williams: The longtime baseball man, who won Manager of the Year honors in 1999 and piloted three baseball teams over 12 seasons, including the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Astros, died Jan. 26. He was 80. (Brian Bahr /Allsport)
Al McBean: The reliever, named the National League's 1964 Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News, was the first pitcher from the Virgin Islands to reach the major leagues. He died on Jan. 31 at the age of 85. ( Charles 'Teenie' Harris/Carnegie Museum of Art/Getty Images)
Mike Martin: The longtime Florida State baseball coach, college baseball’s all-time winningest coach, died on Feb. 1. He was 79. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Rich Caster: The 13-year NFL veteran, a three-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end who was one of Joe Namath’s favorite targets while with the New York Jets during the 1970s, died Feb. 2. He was 75.
(James Flores/Getty Images)
Jim Hannan: The former major league pitcher, left, shown presenting an award to Ian Desmond, was the first president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Assocation. The group announced his death on Feb. 9. He was 85. (Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)
Kelvin Kiptum: The marathon runner, who won the 2023 Chicago Marathon, died in a car crash on Feb. 11. He was 24. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Kasha Rigby: The skier, dubbed the “pioneer of extreme telemarking,” died on Feb. 13 after she was caught in an avalanche at a ski resort in Kosovo. She was 54. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Robert Reid: The 13-year veteran, a forward and guard who led the Houston Rockets to their first two NBA Finals berths during the 1980s, died on Feb. 19. He was 68. (Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images)
Golden Richards: The wide receiver played five-plus seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and made a memorable touchdown catch in Super Bowl XII. He died Feb. 23 at the age of 73. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Ole Anderson: The professional wrestler, an iconic heel in the Southeast for more than four decades, died Feb. 26. He was 81. (WWE.com)
Virgil: Michael Jones, known to professional wrestling fans as Virgil, the dour bodyguard of WWE star Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase, died Feb. 28. He was 61. (WWE.com)
Chris Mortensen: The award-winning journalist, who covered the NFL for ESPN over three decades, died on March 3. He was 72. (Kevin C. Cox/AAF/Getty Images)
Ed Ott: The catcher who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series title in 1979 died on March 3. He was 72. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
U.L. Washington: The infielder, known for the toothpick hanging from his mouth and clutch play that helped the Kansas City Royals to their first pennant in 1980, died March 3. He was 70. ( Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
Jim McAndrew: The right-hander, who pitched for the New York Mets in six of his MLB seasons and went to two World Series, died on March 14. He was 80. (Sporting News via Getty Images)
Peter Angelos: The class action attorney, who bought the Baltimore Orioles in 1993, died on March 23. He was 94. (Getty Images )
Vontae Davis: The former NFL cornerback, who played for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills, was found dead April 1 in Florida. He was 35. (Tom Hauck/Getty Images, File)
Larry Lucchino: The former president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, who oversaw three World Series champions, died April 2. He was 78. (Alex Speier/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
O.J. Simpson: The Heisman Trophy winner and pro football Hall of Famer, actor and pitchman, whose acquittal in the 1995 trial for the murder of his former wife and her friend riveted the nation, died April 10. He was 76. (Pool/Getty Images)
Fritz Peterson: The former Yankees pitcher, who famously traded families with a teammate in 1973, died at the age of 82, the team announced on April 12. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images )
Steve Sloan: The quarterback, who led Alabama to a pair of national titles during the 1960s and later served as a coach and administrator, died April 14. He was 79. (University of Alabama)
Ken Holtzman: The winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history, who threw a pair of no-hitters, died on April 14. He was 78. (Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
Whitey Herzog: The Hall of Fame manager who led the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series championship in the 1980s, died April 15. He was 92. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Carl Erskine: The pitcher, the last of the fabled "Boys of Summer," left, shown with Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, died April 16. He was 97. Erksine pitched two no-hitters with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 during the World Series. (B Bennett/Getty Images)
Bill Tobin: The former scout, general manager and NFL executive, who helped build the Chicago Bears into a Super Bowl champion during the mid-1980s, died April 18. He was 83. (Cincinnati Bengals)
Howie Schwab: The former ESPN producer and star of "Stump the Schwab" trivia show died April 20. He was 63. (John Shearer/WireImage)
Korey Cunningham: The former lineman who played for the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and New York Giants from 2018 to 2022, was found dead in his house in New Jersey on April 25. He was 28. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Bob Avellini: The quarterback, who directed the Chicago Bears to a playoff berth in 1977, died May 4. He was 70. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Oleksandr Pielieshenko: The two-time European weightlifting champion and 2016 Olympic competitor for Ukraine was killed during the Ukraine-Russia war on May 5. He was 30. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP via Getty Images)
Cecil "Hootie" Ingram: The longtime adminstrator in the SEC, who also was athletic director at Alabama and Florida State and was the head coach at Clemson, died at the age of 90, the University of Alabama announced on May 6. (University of Alabama )
Jimmy Johnson: Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson, who played all 16 of his NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, died May 8. He was 86. ( Dennis Desprois/Getty Images/ Dennis Desprois)
Sean Burroughs: The seven-year veteran of the major leagues, who was a two-time Little League World Series champion and an Olympic gold medalist, died May 9. He was 43. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Ron Ellis: The right winger, a member of the last Toronto team to win the Stanley Cup, died at the age of 79, the Maple Leafs announced on May 11. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Mark Wells: The forward for the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won a gold medal died on May 17. He was 66. (Sports Illustrated via Getty Images )
Jim Otto: The Hall of Fame center, who spent his entire pro football career with the Oakland Raiders, died at the age of 86, the team announced May 19. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images )
Grayson Murray: The golfer, who won two events on the PGA Tour, died May 25. He was 30. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Bill Walton: The center, who led UCLA to two national titles before winning a pair of championships in the NBA and later became a sportscaster, died of cancer on May 27. He was 71. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Taylor Dockins: The outstanding high school and college softball player, who battled a rare form of liver cancer, died June 2. She was 25. (Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Parnelli Jones: The auto racing star, who won the 1963 Indianapolis 500, died June 4. He was 90. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
Josh Maravich: The former LSU player and son of basketball Hall of Famer Pete Maravich died on June 8. He was 42. (LSU Athletics)
Chet Walker: The Basketball Hall of Famer, who helped the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA title in 1967, died at the age of 84. The NBA Players Association announced his death on June 8. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Frank Carroll: The famed figure skating coach, shown celebrating with Michelle Kwan in 2001, died June 9. He was 85. (Doug Pensinger/ALLSPORT)
Jerry West: The basketball Hall of Famer, who played 14 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers -- leading the team to the NBA Finals nine times -- and later was a coach and general manager for the team, died June 12. He was 86. "Mr. Clutch" was also the inspiration for the iconic NBA logo. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Willie Mays: The "Say Hey Kid," a two-time National League Most Valuable Player who led the Giants to three pennants, died June 18. He was 93. The Hall of Famer hit 660 home runs, stroked 3,293 hits and drove in 1,909 runs. He also earned 12 Gold Gloves and 24 All-Star Game berths. (Getty Images )
Teigan Martin: The former high school star, who was a reserve tight end at the University of South Florida in 2023, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on June 24. He was 20. (University of South Florida )
Sika Anoa’i: The former pro wrestling star, shown with current WWE headliner and son Roman Reigns, died June 25. He was 79. (WWE)
Sergei Berezin: The left winger, who played seven seasons in the NHL, including five with the Toronto Maple Leafs, died June 26. He was 52. (Harry How/Getty Images )
Monte Kiffin: The longtime defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of the architects of the "Tampa 2" defense that led the team to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, died July 11. He was 84. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Jacoby Jones: The wide receiver and special teams star, who returned the second-half kickoff in Super Bowl XLVII for 108 yards and a touchdown, died July 14 of heart disease. Jones, who played nine seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, was 40. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Andre Seldon Jr.: The Utah State defensive back died July 20 in an apparent cliff-diving accident. He was 22. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Billy Bean: The second MLB player to come out as gay died of acute myeloid leukemia on Aug. 6. He was 60. Since 2022 he had been MLB's senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Chi Chi Rodriguez: The colorful golfer from Puerto Rico, who starred on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, died Aug. 8. He was 88. The golfer, who punctuated birdie putts with his "sword dance," won eight times on the PGA Tour. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Scott Bloomquist: A member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, the dirt bike champion died in a plane crash on Aug. 16. He was 60. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Kevin Sullivan: The professional wrestler and booker, known as the "Prince of Darkness" and "The Taskmaster," died Aug. 9. He was 74. (WWE)
Al Attles: The guard, who played his entire 11-year NBA career with the Warriors in Philadelphia and San Francisco and later coached the franchise to an NBA crown in 1975, died Aug. 20. He was 87. (San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/San Francisco Chronicle via Gett)
Sid Eudy: The professional wrestling heel known as "Sid Vicious" died on Aug. 26. He was 63. (WWE/Getty Images )
Johnny Gaudreau: The Columbus Blue Jackets star was killed, along with his younger brother Matthew, when they were fatally struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in New Jersey on Aug. 30. Johnny was 31. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Joe Schmidt: The Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame linebacker, who led the team to NFL titles in 1953 and 1957 and later coached, died Sept. 11. He was 92. (Al Paloczy/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Dikembe Mutombo: The Hall of Fame center, who played 18 seasons in the NBA, died from brain cancer on Sept. 30. He was 58. (Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
Pete Rose: MLB's all-time hits leader known as "Charlie Hustle," who later received a lifetime ban for gambling on baseball, died Sept. 30. He was 83. (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive)
Luis Tiant: The pitcher with a baffling windup who won 229 games during a 19-year MLB career died Oct. 8. He was 83. Tiant helped the Boston Red Sox reach the World Series in 1975, when he won 18 games. The right-hander won 20 or more games four times during his MLB career. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Fernando Valenzuela: The left-hander who ignited "Fernandomania" as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 died Oct. 22. He was 63. Valenzuela won 173 games during his 17-year MLB career with the Dodgers, Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres and Cardinals. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Bobby Allison: The NASCAR Hall of Famer who founded auto racing's "Alabama Gang" died Nov. 9. He was 86. The three-time winner of the Daytona 500 won 85 races in NASCAR's premier series during his career. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Gerry Faust: The legendary coach at Moeller High School in Cincinnati, who later coached at Notre Dame from 1981 to 1985 in college football's "Bold Experiment," died Nov. 11. He was 89. Faust also coached collegiately at Akron from 1986 to 1994. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima)
Bela Karolyi: The revered but sometimes polarizing gymnastics coach who coached Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to Olympic gold medals died on Nov. 15. He was 82. (John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Lou Carnescca: The national coach of the year in 1985, who led St. John's University to the Final Four in the same season, died Nov. 30. He was 99. Carnesecca compiled a 526-200 record at St. John's during his 24 seasons at the helm and guided the team to 18 NCAA tournament berths. (Richard Mackson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Fred Lorenzen: The NASCAR Hall of Famer, who won the 1965 Daytona 500, died Dec. 18. He was 89. (Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
Rickey Henderson: MLB's all-time stolen bases leader with 1,406 thefts during his 25-year Hall of Fame career died Dec. 20. The "Man of Steal" was 65. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
Bill Bergey: The five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played in Super Bowl XV for the Philadelphia Eagles died of cancer on Dec. 25. He was 79. (James Drake/Getty Images)
Greg Gumbel: The veteran sportscaster, whose five-decade career included broadcasting during March Madness and handling NFL play-by-play and studio duties, died Dec. 27 after a battle with cancer. He was 78. In 2001, he became the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship when he called Super Bowl XXXV. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Lenny Randle: The utility player, right, who once punched his manager and once got down on his hands and knees to blow a baseball foul, died Dec. 29. He was 75. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
