Tag: dies

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NFL News

Floyd Reese, the General Manager of the Tennessee Titans’ Super Bowl squad, died at the age of 73.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —
— Floyd Reese, the general manager who put together the Titans’ lone Super Bowl roster, passed away on Saturday.
His demise was revealed to the squad by his family.
According to a social media post from ESPN 102.5 The Game, where Reese worked until mid-December, Reese battled cancer and was with his family when he died.
Reese spent 21 years with the Oilers-Titans as a coach and administrator, and he is the franchise’s all-time winningest general manager.
“As general manager, he constructed a club that saw continuous success and guided our franchise through the best and worst of times,” controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said.
“His excellent eye for talent led him to some of our team’s top players in history, which led to some of our greatest accomplishments,” said Reese, who will be enshrined into the team’s Ring of Honor this season.
Eddie George was the Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year in 1996, followed by Jevon Kearse in 1999, and Vince Young in 2006.
Steve McNair, a co-NFL MVP in 2003, was elevated to No. 1 by him.
Being general manager of the Houston Oilers at the time, he selected the No. 3 overall choice in his second draft.
McNair and George, the 14th overall pick in 1996, were described by Reese as “important building stones.”
His wife, Sally, as well as his children and grandchildren, survive him.

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NFL News

Joe Walton, the former head coach of the New York Jets, has died at the age of 85.

20 September 2008: Colonials head coach Joe Walton during the first half of Dayton's game with Robert Morris at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.

Joe Walton, the former head coach of the New York Jets and a longtime Robert Morris leader, died on Sunday.
After a decades-long career as an NFL head coach and assistant, Walton spent 20 years at Robert Morris, where he launched the Division I-FCS schools football program.
Walton’s stint with the Jets in the 1980s will be remembered the most.
During the decade, he spent nine seasons with the Jets, first as the Gang Greens’ offensive coordinator in 1981 and then as their head coach in 1983.
Walton was the Jets’ head coach for seven years.
Walton moved into scouting and later coaching when his playing career ended.
He spent nine years as a scout or assistance for the Giants before moving to Washington as an assistant in 1974.
Walton served in Washington under both George Allen and Jack Pardee, rising through the ranks to become the team’s offensive coordinator in 1978, just as the organization was settling in new starting quarterback Joe Theismann, before relocating to New York.
As the Jets’ head coach, Walton went 53-57-1.
The Jets, who reached the AFC Championship Game in 1982 with Walton as their offensive coordinator, also made the playoffs in 1985 and 1986.
While the Jets were known for their pass rush at the time, they finished eighth on offense in 1985 and went 11-5.
They were 10-6 in 1986, had two 1,000-yard receivers (Al Toon and Wesley Walker), and came close to beating the Browns in a double-overtime divisional playoff loss.
Once Waltons term with the Jets came to an end, the Beaver Falls, Pa. native finished his NFL coaching career as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator for Chuck Noll’s final two seasons.

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NFL News

After a bike accident, a New York Jets assistant coach died.

Gregg Knapp, the assistant coach of the New York Jets, died after suffering injuries in a bike accident, and tributes have poured in.
Mr Knapps family stated in a statement on Thursday that he did not regain consciousness after an accident on Saturday in which he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike.
According to ESPN, the event occurred in San Ramon, California, a hamlet 34 miles east of San Francisco and not far from his house.
According to investigators, the driver of the vehicle is cooperating with an ongoing investigation, and no drugs or alcohol were involved in the event.
Their identity has been kept a secret.
“Greg had such an inner serenity about him that people always seemed to draw towards him,” New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh tweeted on Thursday.
He led a loving life that allowed him to interact with individuals from all walks of life in a unique way.” “I feel the people in this organization got a chance to experience that connection during his brief time here,” Mr Saleh continued.
“Greg, thank you for all that you have shared with us; you will be missed brother,” according to reports. He had been scheduled to fly from his home in California to New Jersey to begin his first season as an assistant coach with the New York Jets, having joined with the team in January.
Mr. Knapp has coached NFL teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos over his 25-year coaching tenure.
“He was a tremendous football coach who excelled at the top levels of our game, but more importantly he was a fantastic guy who had the love, admiration, and respect of all who were lucky to work with him,” Arthur Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, tweeted on Thursday.
Greg Knapp, may you rest in peace.” The Associated Press contributed additional reporting.

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NFL News

Greg Knapp, a Jets assistant, died as a result of injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.

Greg Knapp, a former NFL assistant coach who was hired by the Jets as a passing game expert last January, died Thursday from injuries sustained in a bike accident in California last weekend.
Knapp died at 2:32 p.m., according to his family and the Jets.
(11:32 a.m. ET)
Thursday (Pacific Time)
“Those of us who were fortunate enough to have known him know that he would have wished for even this moment to be instructive.”
So there you have it.
‘Enjoy each day as if it were your last, and love people around you as if you don’t know how long you have!’
In a statement, the family said:
On the afternoon of July 17, Knapp was bicycling in San Ramon, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area when he was hit by a automobile.
He was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.
He never recovered consciousness, according to his family.
Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. Lt. L
According to the Associated Press, Tami Williams said Tuesday that the car’s driver was cooperative and that drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the incident.
Knapp was hired by the Jets in the summer to join new head coach Robert Saleh’s staff.
In 1997, Knapp began his NFL coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers.
He worked for the 49ers, Falcons, Raiders, and Seahawks as an offensive coordinator.
He coached quarterbacks for the Texans and the Broncos.
“He led a loving life that allowed him to interact with individuals from all walks of life in a special way.”
“I believe the people in this organization got a opportunity to experience that connection during his brief time here,” Saleh said in a statement posted by the team.
His wife, Charlotte, three daughters, Jordan, Natalie, and Camille, as well as his brother, survive him.