In memoriam: High school sports greats who passed away in 2023

The sports world lost some legends in 2023, including Hall of Famers like Jim Brown and Dick Butkus of the NFL, Willis Reed of the NBA and Brooks Robinson from Major League Baseball.

Following is a look at those noteworthy athletes who passed away in 2023 and how they made their mark at the high school level. Prep greats who passed away in 2023

Charles White
Date: Jan. 11
Age: 64
High school: San Fernando (Calif.)
Pro career: Nine-year NFL veteran. All-Pro in 1987.
Prep career: Although a running back at USC when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1979, White won honors as a defensive back in high school at San Fernando. On the Los Angeles Times' All-Valley team in 1975, White made the squad as a cornerback. He was the second-leading rusher on his team with 1,015 yards on 95 carries and 12 touchdowns.

Sal Bando
Date: Jan. 19
Age: 78
High school: Warrensville Heights (Warrensville, Ohio)
Pro career: Four-time MLB All-Star with Oakland A's.
Prep career: A three-sport star in high school, Bando was All-County as a quarterback, Class AA sectional all-tournament as a point guard in basketball and a standout shortstop of the Cleveland Go Junior National NABF finalists.

Billy Packer
Date: Jan. 25
Age: 82
High school: Liberty (Bethlehem, Pa.)
Pro career: Basketball commentator for 36 years.
Prep career: Before heading to Wake Forest, Packer was a guard on the all-state first team in 1957 and he was also an all-district player in baseball that summer.



Conrad Dobler
Date: Feb. 12
Age: 72
High school: Twentynine Palms (Calif.)
Pro career: Three-time Pro Bowl selection during 10-year NFL career.
Prep career: An offensive guard in the NFL, Dobler was a 6-foot-2, 200-pound running back and linebacker in high school. He was the "Back of the Year' in the Desert Valley League in 1967. He was also the basketball team's leading scorer and a pole vaulter on the track team.

Tim McCarver
Date: Feb. 15
Age: 81
High school: Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.)
Pro career: Two-time MLB all-star selection in 21-year career.
Prep career: McCarver earned all-city honors in baseball as a catcher, batting .393 in 1958 and earning Prep League MVP honors as a senior. In football, McCarver was the leading vote-better on the All-City as a receiver, catching six touchdown passes and kicking 15 extra points.

Jerry Richardson
Date: March 1
Age: 86
High school: Terry Sanford (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Pro career: Two years in the NFL, owned the Carolina Panthers.
Prep career: Richardson helped lead Fayetteville, now Terry Sanford, to a successful season in 1953 and earned honorable mention on the all-state team by the Charlotte Observer.

Pat McCormick
Date: March 7
Age: 92
High school: Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.)
Pro career: Seven-time Olympic gold medalist in diving.
Prep career: Known by her maiden name of Pat Keller as a junior at Woodrow Wilson, McCormick finished fourth in the national platform diving championships in 1947. As a senior in 1948, McCormick missed her graduation from high school in order to compete in the Olympic Trials. While she missed making the team, she won the AAU title later that summer.

Bud Grant
Date: March 10
Age: 95
High school: Superior (Wis.)
Pro career: Five-year NFL career as player, NFL Hall of Fame as coach.
Prep career: The leading rusher and scorer on a Superior Central football team that went 7-0 in 1944, Grant was also the top basketball player in the state in 1945, earning comparisons to Wisconsin great Ernie Nevers for his prowess in the two sports.

Felton Spencer
Date: March 12
Age: 55
High School: Eastern (Middletown, Ky.), now closed
Pro career: 12-year NBA career.
Prep career: Spencer didn't play organized basketball until his sophomore season at Eastern. The 7-foot-2 center earned all-state first team and Parade Magazine second team All-American honors as a senior in 1986. He averaged 20 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a senior.



Joe Pepitone
Date: March 12
Age: 82
High School: Manual Training (Brooklyn), now closed
Pro career: Three-time MLB All-Star in 12-year career.
Prep career: The team captain at Manual Training, Pepitone suffered an injury in March of his senior year when he was accidentally shot in the lower left chest by a classmate while examining a .38 revolver. Pepitone recovered to play Pony League baseball that summer and was subsequently signed by the Yankees.

Dick Fosbury
Date: March 12
Age: 76
High school: Medford, now North Medford (Medford, Ore.)
Pro career: Gold medal in high jump in 1968 Olympics.
Prep career: Already experimenting in high school with his "back first" high-jumping style that later became known as the "Fosbury Flop," Fosbury finished second at the state meet in 1965 with a height of 6-3 3/4. Two months later, however, he won the Junior National championship with a height of 6-foot-7. By 1968, he had refined his technique to set an Olympic record with a height of 7-4 1/4.

Willis Reed
Date: March 20
Age: 80
High school: Westside (Lillie, La.), now closed
Pro career: Seven-time NBA All-Star in 11-year career.
Prep career: Reed led Westside to back-to-back LIALA state championships during the segregation era. In his senior year of 1960, Reed scored 1,184 points and Westside finished 35-7.

Hobie Landrith
Date: March 30
Age: 93
High school: Northwestern (Detroit, Mich.)
Pro career: Fourteen-year career in MLB.
Prep career: A standout for the Northwestern high school baseball team and a star of the sandlot baseball summer teams in Detroit, Landrith was signed by the Reds in 1949.

Chris Smith
Date: April 17
Age: 31
High school: West Rowan (Mt. Ulla, N.C.)
Pro career: Eight-year NFL career.
Prep career: A standout defensive end for West Rowan during its state championship seasons of 2008 and 2009, Smith was also the Shrine Bowl defensive MVP in 2009.

Dave Wilcox
Date: April 19
Age: 80
High school: Vale (Ore.)
Pro career: NFL Hall of Fame after 11-year career.
Prep career: Wilcox was a standout end and kicker for the powerful Vale team that won a state championship in 1957 and went 11-1 in 1958 with a runner-up finish in the Class A-2 playoffs.



Dick Groat
Date: April 27
Age: 92
High school: Swissvale (Pa.), now closed
Pro career: Eight-time MLB All-Star in 16-year career; played two years in NBA.
Prep career: On the basketball court, Groat led the WPIAL in scoring with 417 points in 19 games (21.9). As a junior on the diamond, Groat was chosen for the United States All-Star team that played the Metropolitan New York team at the Polo Grounds in 1947. Groat batted .484 as a junior on the Swissvale team.

Torie Bowie
Date: May 2
Age: 32
High school: Pisgah (Sandhill, Miss.)
Pro career: Gold medalist in 2016 Olympics.
Prep career: Named to the Class 1A all-tournament team in basketball, Bowie was also an all-state selection in track and field by the Clarion Ledger after winning the 100 (12.21), 200 (25.77) and the long jump (19-9 1/2).

Lance Blanks
Date: May 3
Age: 56
High school: McCullough (The Woodlands, Texas), now closed
Pro career: Four-year NBA career.
Prep career: A Class 5A all-state pick, Blanks also made Parade Magazine third team All-American while averaging 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 1985.

Vida Blue
Date: May 7
Age: 73
High school: DeSoto (Mansfield, La.), now closed
Pro career: Six-time MLB All-Star.
Prep career: Blue once threw a no-hitter in an 11-0 win over Central of Natchitoches in 1967, striking out 21 batters while giving up five walks. As a junior, he had four straight no-hitters. He led DeSoto to the LIALO championship game and reportedly threw for 3,400 yards as a senior. He made the all-state team in football, basketball and baseball.

Joe Kapp
Date: May 8
Age: 85
High school: Hart (Newhall, Calif.)
Pro career: Twelve-year pro football career in Canada and NFL.
Prep career: The quarterback for the Indians on the football team, Kapp was even better on the hardcourt as he led Hart to a league championship and was named All-CIF. He also played first base on the football team.

Jim Brown
Date: May 18
Age: 87
High school: Manhasset (N.Y.)
Pro career: NFL Hall of Fame after 9-year career.
Prep career: Besides earning honorable mention All-American by Scholastic Coach, Brown is also believed to be the leading scorer in the nation when he averaged 38.2 points per game in basketball.



Jim Hines
Date: June 3
Age: 76
High school: McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.)
Pro career: Won gold medal in the 100 meters at the 1968 Olympic Games.
Prep career: Tied the national record of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash at the West Coast Relays in 1964. He won the 100 and 220 at the CIF meet, setting a state record in the latter event with a time of 21.3 seconds.

Roger Craig
Date: June 4
Age: 93
High school: Durham (N.C.), now closed
Pro career: 12-year MLB career, 10-year MLB managing career.
Prep career: A standout pitcher for Durham as a junior and senior, Craig earned honorable mention all-state honors his senior year of 1949. He also played two years on the basketball team.

Jim Turner
Date: June 10
Age: 82
Pro career: Two-time Pro Bowl selection during 16-year NFL career.
Prep career: A kicker in the NFL, Turner earned All-American honorable mention honors from Teen Magazine as a senior running back in 1958. He was also All-NorCal second team

Ray Lewis III
Date: June 15
Age: 28
High school: Lake Mary Prep (Lake Mary, Fla.)
Pro career: Son of Ray Lewis Jr., played indoor football.
Prep career: Lewis ran for 5,283 yards and 53 touchdowns during his career including 2,321 yards as a junior in 2011.

Clark Haggans
Date: June 19
Age: 46
High school: Peninsula (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.)
Pro career: Thirteen-year NFL career.
Prep career: Named to the South Bay All-Stars by the Los Angeles Times as a defensive tackle in 1994. He also made the All-CIF Division 2 team.

Ryan Mallett
Date: June 27
Age: 35
High school: Texas (Texarkana, Texas)
Pro career: Seven-year NFL career.
Prep career: Ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the country and the No. 5 overall recruit from Texas, Mallett was a first team Class 4A all-state pick as a senior and third team as a junior. He threw for 7,765 yards in his career.



Fred Willis
Date: July 4
Age: 75
High school: Marian (Framingham, Mass.)
Pro career: Six-year NFL career.
Prep career: An NFL player, Willis might have been a better ice hockey player as a prep. He led the Boston area with 55 points as a senior skater at Marian. In football, he also led the area in scoring with 88 points and made the Catholic All-Central League team.

Johnnie Cooks
Date: July 6
Age: 64
High school: Leland (Miss.)
Pro career: Ten-year NFL career.
Prep career: A two-way standout at Leland, Cooks earned All-Delta Valley Conference honors as an offensive tackle and defensive tackle in 1976.

Joe Campbell
Date: July 9
Age: 68
High school: Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.)
Pro career: Five years in NFL.
Prep career: A starter at tight end and defensive tackle for the Sallies when they won the state championship in 1973.

Danielle Ballard
Date: July 13
Age: 29
High school: Memphis Central (Memphis, Tenn.)
College career: Played at LSU.
Prep career: Ballard averaged 13 points per game as a junior while leading Central to the Class AAA state championship in 2011.

Cody Ince
Date: July 15
Age: 23
High school: Unity Christian (Orange City, Iowa)
College career: Played at University of Iowa.
Prep career: Lettered in football, basketball and baseball in high school, but earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman as a senior.

Nikki McCray-Penson
Date: July 23
Age: 51
High school: Collierville (Tenn.)
Pro career: Eleven-year WNBA career.
Prep career: Winning the Class AAA Miss Basketball award in 1990, averaging 34.3 points per game. She also earned Parade Magazine second team All-American honors.



Alex Collins
Date: Aug. 13
Age: 28
High school: South Plantation (Plantation, Fla.)
Pro career: Six-year NFL career.
Prep career: Collins rushed for 3,264 yards in two years on the varsity and was named the Miami Dolphins High School Player of the Year in 2012.

Alex Cole
Date: Aug. 19
Age: 58
High school: Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe, now Huguenot (Richmond, Va.)
Pro career: Six-year MLB career.
Prep career: J-H-W didn't win many games Cole's senior year, but he still managed to bat .404 and was a standout in the Virginia Baseball Coaches Association all-star game in 1983.

Roy Kidd
Date: Sept. 12
Age: 91
High school: Corbin (Ky.)
Pro career: 39-year coaching career at Eastern Kentucky.
Prep career: Played with Frank Selvy at Corbin and led team to third place in the 1950 state tournament. Earned honorable mention all-state two years in a row.

Mike Williams
Date: Sept. 12
Age: 36
High school: Riverside (Buffalo, N.Y.)
Pro career: Five-year NFL career.
Prep career: All-Western New York in both basketball and football, Williams won the James Lofton Award as the area's top receiver in 2005.

Brooks Robinson
Date: Sept. 26
Age: 86
High school: Central (Little Rock, Ark.)
Pro career: MLB Hall of Fame player in 23-year career.
Prep career: Robinson twice earned all-state honors in basketball and played American Legion for four seasons because the Tigers did not field a baseball team. Signed with the Orioles prior to his graduation from Central in 1955.

Tim Wakefield
Date: Oct. 1
Age: 57
High school: Eau Gallie (Melbourne, Fla.)
Pro career: Nineteen-year MLB career.
Prep career: A pitcher and first baseman, Wakefield earned All-Space Coast honors as a senior while throwing two no-hitters and batting .368.



Dick Butkus
Date: Oct. 5
Age: 80
High school: Chicago Vocational (Chicago, Ill.)
Pro career: Nine-year NFL Hall of Fame career.
Prep career: Butkus earned All-American honors as a running back, kicker and linebacker from Teen Magazine, Scholastic Coach and Wigwam Wiseman.

Andy Bean
Date: Oct. 14
Age: 70
High school: Lakeland (Fla.)
Pro career: Winner of 18 tournaments on PGA tour.
Prep career: Bean was one of the top golfers in the nation as a senior at Lakeland, winning medalist honors at the National Junior Fourball tournament in 1971.

Betsy Rawls
Date: Oct. 21
Age: 95
High school: Lovelady (Texas)
Pro career: Won 55 events on LPGA tour.
Prep career: Rawls participated in four tournaments in high school before heading to college in Austin. She was a medalist at the Women's Public Links Tournament in Austin in 1947.

Adam Johnson
Date: Oct. 28
Age: 29
High school: Hibbing (Minn.)
Pro career: Seven-year NHL career.
Prep career: In four years on the Hibbing/Chisholm varsity, Johnson scored 86 goals.

Frank Howard
Date: Oct. 30
Age: 87
High school: South (Columbus, Ohio)
Pro career: Sixteen-year MLB career.
Prep career: The leading scorer on the basketball team, Howard was also a member of the Western All-Stars in baseball as a senior in 1954.

Bobby Knight
Date: Nov. 1
Age: 83
High school: Orrville (Ohio)
Pro career: Three NCAA championships and 902 wins in 44-year coaching career.
Prep career: The leading scorer for Orrville, Knight was recruited to Ohio State along with fellow Ohioans John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas.



Walter Davis
Date: Nov. 2
Age: 69
High school: South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.)
Pro career: Sixteen-year NBA career, six-time All-Star.
Prep career: Davis led the Sabres to three straight Class 4A state championships. As a senior he led South Mecklenburg to a 26-0 record while averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Matt Ulrich
Date: Nov. 5
Age: 41
High school: Streamwood (Ill.)
Pro career: Two seasons in NFL.
Prep career: An outstanding student, he earned All-Academic honors with a 5.1 GPA. He was also a three-year starter and earned All-Fox Valley honors by the Daily Herald in 1990.

D.J. Hayden
Date: Nov. 11
Age: 33
High School: Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City, Texas)
Pro career: Eight-year NFL career.
Prep career: Hayden was named the team's player of the year as a cornerback in 2008. Due to transfer rules, he was unable to play as a senior and instead enrolled at Navarro Junior College.

Frank Wycheck
Date: Dec. 9
Age: 52
High school: Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Pro career: Three-time Pro Bowl selection in 11-year NFL career.
Prep career: A tight end in the NFL, Wycheck was an All-Catholic League running back in high school and also played on the basketball team.

George McGinnis
Date: Dec. 14
Age: 73
High school: Indianapolis Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Pro career: Twelve-year NBA career, three-time All-Star.
Prep career: The all-time leading scorer in Indianapolis history with over 2,000 career points, McGinnis was one of the nation's top athletes in 1968-69 as he earned Parade Magazine All-American honors in both football and basketball.

Eric Montross
Date: Dec. 17
Age: 52
High school: Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Pro career: Nine-year NBA career.
Prep career: The state tournament MVP as a junior in 1989, Montross was a Parade Magazine first team All-American as a senior.



Ed Budde
Date: Dec. 19
Age: 83
High school: Denby (Detroit, Mich.)
Pro career: Five-time All-Star during 14-year NFL career.
Prep career: Led Denby to an undefeated season as a junior and was twice named to the all-state team by the Detroit Free Press.

Ryan Minor
Date: Dec. 22
Age: 49
High school: Hammon (Okla.)
Pro career: Three seasons in MLB.
Prep career: A two-sport standout, the 6-foot-7 Minor scored 2,877 points in his basketball career and set Class B state tournament records for points in a game (45) and a career (285 points in 11 games). He was named the state player of the year in basketball and all-state in baseball. He hit seven home runs as a senior and had a 6-2 record on the mound.