A History of Athletes Dying on the Playing Field

Few people seem as invincible as our favorite athletes. Ballers performing phenomenal feats on the field of play can sometimes make us forget that they're even mortal. In some cases though, we're given cruel reminders of just how human they are. Such was the case 18 years ago today when Boston Celtic Reggie Lewis collapsed and died at the age of 27 during an offseason practice. The NBA All-Star's death made us think back to what other star athletes had died playing the sports they loved, it turns out that athletes dying while playing is not as uncommon as one would think. From boxing to baseball to racing, athletes of nearly every major sport have been lost to on the field tragedy. So, in memoriam of Reggie Lewis and other athletes who met the same fate, here is a History of Athletes Dying on the Playing Field...

Ray Chapman

AGE: 29 (January 15, 1891 – August 17, 1920)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Head trauma after being hit by pitch
COMPLEX SAYS: Despite baseball's nearly 150 year history, only two players have died from game-related injuries; Mike Powers in 1909 and Ray Chapman in 1920. Chapman was hit by a spitball thrown by Yankees pitcher Carl Mays. The pitch beaned Chapman in the head and he collapsed and later died at a New York City hospital. Though the league did not punish Mays (spitballs were legal at the time), many players blamed him for Chapman's death since he was notorious for throwing the pitch. Chapman's death also started the movement toward requiring batting helmets for players

Frank Hayes

AGE: 35 (1888–1923)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart attack
COMPLEX SAYS: In a story right off of 1,000 Ways to Die, jockey Frank Hayes died from a heart attack during a horse race that he actually won. The owner of the winning horse, Sweet Kiss, headed over to congratulate Hayes only to find him slumped over. Dude went out a winner. Literally.

Bill Masterton

AGE: 29 (August 13, 1938 – January 15, 1968)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Brain hemorrhage
COMPLEX SAYS: The Bill Masterton award is given each year to the player who shows the most perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication in the NHL but not everyone (we see you, young'ns) knows about the man for whom the trophy is named. In only his first year in the league, Masterton died in a game against the Oakland Seals after being checked and slamming his head onto the ice afterward. Masterton suffered a brain hemorrhage and was pronounced dead two days after the incident. He remains the only player to die from injuries sustained during a game. His death began movement for mandatory helmets in hockey which was implemented in the 1979-80 season.

Chuck Hughes

AGE: 28 (March 2, 1943 – October 24, 1971)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart attack
COMPLEX SAYS: Chuck Hughes is the only NFL player to die during a game. The wide receiver collapsed while on his way back to the huddle while his team, the Detroit Lions, were playing the Chicago Bears at Tiger Stadium. An autopsy revealed that he died of a heart attack and his family had a history of heart problems. The Lions retired his No. 85 jersey and dedicated their annual Most Improved Player of the Year Award to him.

Duk Koo Kim

AGE: 23 (January 8, 1959 – November 17, 1982)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Head trauma
COMPLEX SAYS: The sport of boxing has a long, sad history of boxers who've lost their lives in the ring, but few are as well-known as Duk Koo Kim. The South Korean boxer held a record of 17-1-1 and was the No. 1 lightweight contender before heading into his championship bout with Ray Mancini. The 14-round bout was brutal for both boxers with Mancini receiving a torn ear and swollen left eye and Kim suffering severe swelling after several shots from Mancini, including one sequence where he had been hit 39 times in a row. Kim lost by TKO in the 14th round after being sent to the canvas by a right hand from Mancini. Kim fell into a coma after the fight and died from brain injuries four days later. As a result, the WBC made a number of safety changes including reducing the number of round from 15 to 12.

Pistol Pete Maravich

AGE: 40 (June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart failure
COMPLEX SAYS: As one of the most prolific ball handlers in NBA history, Pistol Pete's flare on the court (check out the socks, son!) not only inspired white players like Jason Williams but players of all races for generations to come. Maravich retired from the game at the age of 33, but still remained active in his years of retirement right up until his death in 1988 during a pick-up game. His passing was attributed to a congenital defect and came only months after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Hank Gathers

AGE: 23 (February 11, 1967 – March 4, 1990)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart muscle disorder; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
COMPLEX SAYS: The Layola Marymount forward was just coming off a season where he was named the WCC Player of the Year and had become only the second player in NCAA history to lead the country in points in boards when tragedy struck. During the WCC tournament quarterfinal against against Portland, he collapsed after dunking an alley-oop from Terrell Lowery. After attempting to get up but being restrained by trainers, Gathers yelled "I don't want to lay down!" before losing consciousness. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Teammate Bo Kimble and LMU dedicated their run to the Elite Eight in that year's tournament to Gathers.

Reggie Lewis

AGE: 27 (November 21, 1965 - July 27, 1993)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart muscle disorder; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
COMPLEX SAYS: During a summer practice session, Boston Celtic and NBA All-Star Reggie Lewis collapsed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Rumors of cocaine use began to spread following his death but an autopsy proved that a heart defect, not drug use, was the cause of his passing. SMH, not every athlete uses drugs people...

Ayrton Senna

AGE: 34 (March 21, 1960 – May, 1 1994)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Injuries sustained in a car crash
COMPLEX SAYS: As the three-time Formula One world champion, Ayrton Senna was one of the sport's most well-known racers and considered one of the all-time greats even before his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. While leading the race on lap six, Senna's car went into a turn at 135 mph before hitting a wall. Senna was removed from his car and found to have suffered significant blood loss and head trauma before being airlifted to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The critically acclaimed documentary based on his life, Senna, was released last year.

Dale Earnhardt

AGE: 49 (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Injuries sustained in a car crash.
COMPLEX SAYS: Even with over 25 years in the game and seven Winston Cup championships under his belt, the Intimidator still went hard at the 2001 Daytona 500 where he ultimately lost his life. As Earnhardt was trying to protect the lead of Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final lap, his car crashed into the wall on the final turn. He was pronounced dead at the hospital hours later. Earnhardt's death led NASCAR to implement the HANS (head and neck support) device in all race cars.

Korey Stringer

AGE: 27 (May 8, 1974 – August 1, 2001)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heat stroke
COMPLEX SAYS: Football training camps are notorious for exhausting conditions which push players to their mental and physical limits. Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer was about to enter his sixth year in the league when died from a heat stroke during training camp. His death led to the NFL implementing new heat stroke prevention guidelines at camps and the start of the Korey Stringer Institute at UConn.

Marc Vivien Foe

AGE: 28 (May 1, 1975 – June 26, 2003)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Heart muscle disorder; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
COMPLEX SAYS: During the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinal between Cameroon and Columbia, Marc Vivien Foe collapsed during the 72nd minute of the match. The Cameroonian footballer later died at the stadium's medical center. Autopsies revealed that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the same hereditary heart condition that took the lives of Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis, was the cause of Foe's death.

Antonio Puerta

AGE: 22 (November 26, 1984 – August 28, 2007)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Cardiac arrest; arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
COMPLEX SAYS: The Sevilla FC midfielder became a fan favorite after scoring a game-winning goal in the club's victory over Schalke in the 2006 UEFA Cup semifinal and netting a penalty kick in their championship win over Espanyol in the 2007 UEFA Cup. Only months later, during Sevilla's first home match of the 2007-08 season Puerta collapsed on the pitch suffering a series of cardiac arrests.

Scott Kalitta

AGE: 46 (February 18, 1962 – June 21, 2008)
CAUSE OF DEATH: Injuries sustained in a car accident
COMPLEX SAYS: Scott Kalitta had over two decades of experience in Funny Car and Top Fuel racing when this violent explosion and crash took his life at the Lucas Oil NHRA Super Nationals. The two-time Top Fuel champion (1994 and 1995) was racing at 300 mph when his engine exploded, damaging the parachutes which typically slow cars at the end of races, sending Kalitta into the wall. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. As a result, Top Fuel Racing shortened the length of their tracks and developed technology to automatically shutdown engines once an engine backfire is sensed.