In memoriam: High school sports greats we lost in 2024

The sporting world lost some all-time greats in 2024, including Hall of Famers Jerry West and Bill Walton in basketball, Willie Mays and Rickey Henderson in baseball and Jim Otto in football.

Following is a look at some of the notable athletes who died during the past year, listed by the date of their passing and a look at their achievements at the high school level. IN MEMORIAM: Athletes who passed in 2024

Jan. 1 — Frank Ryan, football
Born: July 12, 1936
High school: Paschal (Fort Worth, Texas)
Bio: An NFL champion with the Cleveland Browns in 1964, Ryan earned all-district and all-state honorable mention honors while playing quarterback at Paschal in 1953.

Jan. 3 — Billy Gardner, baseball
Born: July 19, 1927
High school: Chapman Tech (New London, Conn.)
Bio: A standout running back on the football team and a member of the baseball team, Gardner played for the Yankees in the 1961 World Series.

Jan. 10 — Bud Harrelson, baseball
Born: June 6, 1944
High school: Sunset (Hayward, Calif.), now closed
Bio: The longtime New York Mets infielder was the East Bay Athlete Of the Year by the East Bay Area Sports Writers Association after earning all-league in football and basketball and All-Northern California honors in baseball.



Jan. 14 — Norm Snead, football
Born: July 31, 1939
High school: Warwick (Newport News, Va.)
Bio: The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback was All-Tidewater first team as a senior, throwing 13 touchdowns and leading Warwick to a 7-2-1 record.

Jan. 19 — Jack Burke Jr., golf
Born: Jan. 29, 1923
High school: St. Thomas Catholic (Houston, Texas)
Bio: The 1956 Masters winner was one of the top amateur golfers in Texas as a senior.

Jan. 19 — Lance Larson, swimming
Born: July 3, 1940
High school: El Monte (Calif.).
Bio: An Olympic swimming champion in 1960, Larson set multiple Southern Section records while in high school and became the first high school swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle.

Jan. 26 — Jimy Williams, baseball
Born: Oct. 4, 1943
High school: Arroyo Grande (Calif.)
Bio: The American League Manager of the Year in 1999 with the Red Sox, Williams was Arroyo Grande's leading hitter as a senior with a .379 average.

Jan. 31 — Terry Beasley, football
Born: Feb. 5, 1950
High school: Robert E. Lee (Montgomery, Ala.), now Percy Julian (Montgomery, Ala.)
Bio: The 49ers receiver was all-state in high school, catching 31 passes for 440 yards and six touchdowns.

Feb. 1 — Carl Weathers, football
Born: Jan. 14, 1948
High school: Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Bio: The future Oakland Raider and movie star was called by Long Beach Poly football coach Al Martz, "the most aggressive high school player I've ever seen," while playing defensive end for the Jackrabbits.



Feb. 2 — Rich Caster, football
Born: Oct. 16, 1948
High school: Williamson (Mobile, Ala.)
Bio: Caster was a star athlete at Williamson before playing at Jackson State and later the New York Jets as a tight end.

Feb. 13 — Ken Ploen, football
Born: June 3, 1935
High school: Clinton (Iowa)
Bio: The Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback was all-state in football and basketball as a senior at Clinton.

Feb. 14 — Don Gullett, baseball
Born: Jan. 6, 1951
High school: McKell (South Shore, Ky.), now closed
Bio: The Cincinnati Reds ace pitcher starred on the gridiron at McKell, scoring 11 touchdowns and 72 points in one game as a senior while earning all-state honors. The first round pick by the Reds went 9-2 as a senior with 120 strikeouts in 56 innings.

Feb. 17 — Lefty Driesell, basketball
Born: Dec. 25, 1931
High school: Granby (Norfolk, Va.)
Bio: The longtime Maryland Terrapins men's basketball coach starred in high school at Granby, leading the Blue Comets to a state championship in 1950 and earning all-tournament honors.

Feb. 29 — Andy Russell, football
Born: Oct. 29, 1941
High school: Ladue Horton Watkins (St. Louis, Mo.)
Bio: An All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers on two Super Bowl teams, Russell was an all-state fullback at Ladue.

March 12 — Bill Plummer, baseball
Born: March 21, 1947
High school: Anderson (Calif.)
Bio: The backup catcher to Johnny Bench on the Big Red Machine, Plummer was a standout basketball player and two-time all-league catcher at Anderson.



April 1 — Vontae Davis, football
Born: March 27, 1988
High school: Dunbar (Washington, D.C.)
Bio: The former Indianapolis Colt cornerback was Gatorade Player of the Year while at Dunbar.

April 4 — Pat Zachry, baseball
Born: April 24, 1952
High school: Richfield (Waco), now closed
Bio: A member of the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff in the 1976 World Series, Zachry was 9-4 as a senior at Richfield and was named district player of the year.

April 7 — Jerry Grote, baseball
Born: Oct. 6, 1942
High school: MacArthur (San Antonio, Texas)
Bio: An all-star catcher for the New York Mets, Grote pitched in high school and had a no-hitter against South San Antonio in 1961, but lost the game 1-0 on two errors.

April 10 — O.J. Simpson, football
Born: July 9, 1947
High school: Galileo (San Francisco, Calif.)
Bio: The Hall of Fame running back rushed for 14 touchdowns and 614 yards while earning all-city honors as a senior at Galilleo.

April 14 — Ken Holtzman, baseball
Born: Nov. 3, 1945
High school: University City (St. Louis, Mo.)
Bio: The Oakland A's pitcher led University City to a state championship in 1963, pitching a no-hitter in the state semifinals and going 9-1 on the season with five shutouts.

April 14 — Steve Sloan, football
Born: August 19, 1944
High school: Bradley Central (Cleveland, Tenn.)
Bio: A longtime college football coach, Sloan was a two-time all-state quarterback in high school, posting a 27-3 record over two seasons.



April 15 — Dorrell "Whitey" Herzog, baseball
Born: Nov. 9, 1931
High school: New Athens (Ill.)
Bio: Known as "Relly" Herzog in high school, the future World Series champion manager played basketball and baseball at New Athens.

April 16 — Carl Erskine, baseball
Born: Dec. 13, 1926
High school: Anderson (Ind.)
Bio: An all-state basketball player, Erskine also excelled in baseball with two no-hitters for the Anderson nine. Also had two no-hitters with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

April 20 — Roman Gabriel, football
Born: Aug. 5, 1940
High school: New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.)
Bio: The NFL MVP with the Rams in 1969, Gabriel threw for 1,192 yards and 10 touchdowns as an all-state senior, was named state tournament MVP while leading his team to a state championship in basketball and played first base for the state runner-up baseball team. 

May 8 — Jimmy Johnson, football
Born: March 31, 1938
High school: Kingsburg (Calif.)
Bio: A Hall of Fame defensive back for the 49ers, Johnson was a track star at Kingsburg and was team captain in football.

May 19 — Jim Otto, football
Born: Jan. 5, 1938
High school: Wausau East (Wausau, Wis.)
Bio: A starter at center for legendary coach Win Brockmeyer, Otto was third team all-state in high school before embarking on a Hall of Fame career for the Oakland Raiders.

May 26 — Chip Kell, football
Born: March 10, 1949
High school: Avondale (Ga.), now closed
Bio: One of the most coveted players in Georgia as a senior in 1966, Kell was also one of the top shot putters in the nation. A unanimous All-American at Tennessee.



May 27 — Bill Walton, basketball
Born: Nov. 5, 1952
High school: Helix (La Mesa, Calif.)
Bio: A Parade All-American, Walton led Helix to an undefeated season and a San Diego Section championship before heading to an All-American career at UCLA and a Hall of Fame career in the NBA.

June 2 — Carl Cain, basketball
Born: Aug. 2, 1934
High school: Freeport (Ill.)
Bio: A member of the 1956 Olympic Gold Medal basketball team, Cain was all-tournament as a senior at the Illinois state tournament.

June 2 — Larry Allen, football
Born: Nov. 27, 1971
High school: Vintage (Napa, Calif.)
Bio: Allen was not highly recruited out of high school, but he did earn all-conference honors as an offensive tackle for the Crushers. He went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys.

June 8 — Chet Walker, basketball
Born: Feb. 22, 1940
High school: Benton Harbor (Mich.)
Bio: Walker led Benton Harbor to the Class A state finals in 1958 and was named to the all-tournament team. He averaged over 30 points a game in the postseason. He is a seven-time all-pro and a member of the basketball Hall of Fame.

June 12 — Jerry West, basketball
Born: May 28, 1938
High school: East Bank (W.Va.), now closed
Bio: One of the all-time great players in NBA history with the Los Angeles Lakers, West led East Bank to a state championship in 1956 and was the first player in state history to score over 900 points (926) in a season.

June 18 — Willie Mays, baseball
Born: May 6, 1931
High school: Fairfield (Ala.)
Bio: The Hall of Fame centerfielder for the Giants was a standout quarterback for Fairfield High School.



July 11 — Monte Kiffin, football
Born: Feb. 29, 1940
High school: Lexington (Neb.)
Bio: Kiffin earned all-state honors as a tackle for the state champion football team and also earned all-state honors in basketball. He later coached for many years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.

July 14 — Jacoby Jones, football
Born: July 11, 1984
High school: Abramson (New Orleans, La.)
Bio: One of the top hurdlers in the state in high school, Jones became an All-Pro kick returner in the NFL.

July 16 — Joe Bryant, basketball
Born: Oct. 19, 1954
High school: Bartram Communications (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Bio: An all-state pick while leading Bartram to a city championship, Bryant averaged 27.4 points per game as a senior. The father of Kobe Bryant played and coached in professional basketball for 40 years.

July 18 — Abner Haynes, football
Born: Sept. 19, 1937
High school: Lincoln (Dallas, Texas)
Bio: The first MVP of the American Football League, Haynes excelled on the football field at Lincoln, which was a segregated school in Dallas in the 1950s.

July 22 — Carolyn Schuler, swimming
Born: Jan. 5, 1943
High school: Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.)
Bio: An Olympic gold medalist while still in high school, Schuler set Olympic records while just 17-years old.

July 22 — Mark Carnevale, golf
Born: May 21, 1960
High school: Lafayette (Williamsburg, Va.)
Bio: Carnevale was one of the top golfers in the state of Virginia as a senior, averaging a score of 73.4 per match. He was the PGA Rookie of the Year in 1992.



Aug. 20 — Al Attles, basketball
Born: Nov. 7, 1936
High school: Weequahic (Newark, N.J.)
Bio: Winner of an NBA championship as coach of the Golden State Warriors in 1975, Attles was All-City in football and basketball in his hometown of Newark.

Aug. 24 — Don Wert, baseball
Born: July 29, 1938
High school: Solanco (Quarryville, Pa.)
Bio: Wert was the county football player of the year as a senior and also an ace pitcher on the baseball team before playing nearly a decade for the Detroit Tigers.

Aug. 29 — Johnny Gaudreau, ice hockey
Born: Aug. 13, 1993
High school: Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City, N.J.)
Bio: One of the top players in New Jersey from his freshman to his senior year, he led his team to the Non-Public A championship game as a senior. He played 11 seasons in the NHL.

Sept. 11 — Joe Schmidt, football
Born: Jan. 19, 1932
High school: Brentwood (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Bio: The Detroit Lion Hall of Fame middle linebacker was a three-sport star at Brentwood, earning all-state honorable mention in football and playing basketball and running track.

Sept. 21 — Eugene "Mercury" Morris, football
Born: Jan. 5, 1947
High school: Avonworth (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Bio: A standout running back and one of the basketball team's top scorers, Morris was a member of Miami's two Super Bowl champion teams in the 1970s.

Sept. 30 — Pete Rose, baseball
Born: April 14, 1941
High school: Western Hills (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Bio: Major League Baseball's all-time hit king, Rose was an all-public school running back and infielder at Western Hills.



Oct. 4 — Billy Shaw, football
Born: Dec. 15, 1938
High school: Carr Central (Vicksburg, Miss.), now closed
Bio: A member of the all-time AFL All-Star Team, Shaw was All-Big Eight as a tackle and also was a leading scorer in basketball and a first baseman in baseball.

Oct. 4 — Greg Landry, football
Born: Dec. 18, 1946
High school: Nashua South (Nashua, N.H.)
Bio: Before a long career with the Detroit Lions, Landry was an all-state quarterback at Nashua (now Nashua South).

Oct. 8 — Pat Fischer, football
Born: Jan. 2, 1940
High school: Omaha Westside (Omaha, Neb.)
Bio: A 16-year veteran cornerback in the NFL with 56 career interceptions, Fischer was second team all-state running back and also played basketball and was a long jumper in track at Westside.

Oct. 15 — Bud Daley, baseball
Born: Oct. 7, 1932
High school: Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.)
Bio: A two-time World Series champion with the Yankees, Daley was the CIF Player of the Year as a pitcher/infielder in 1950.

Nov. 2 — William "Dub" Jones, football
Born: Dec. 29, 1924
High school: Ruston (La.)
Bio: A record-setting receiver with the Cleveland Browns and the father of Baltimore Colts quarterback Bert Jones, Dub was an all-state running back for Ruston.

Nov. 10 — Dallas Long, shot put
Born: June 13, 1940
High school: North (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Bio: As a high school senior, Long became the fifth thrower in track history to throw for over 60 feet. He set a national high school record with a throw of 69-3 1/8.



Nov. 11 — Gerry Faust, football
Born: May 21, 1935
High school: Chaminade Julienne Catholic (Dayton, Ohio)
Bio: Faust played for his father at Chaminade and led the team to back-to-back city championships in 1951 and 1952. He went on to win three national championships while coaching Archbishop Moeller.

Nov. 11 — John Robinson, football
Born: July 25, 1935
High school: Junipero Serra (San Mateo, Calif.)
Bio: A coach in the NFL with the Rams and college with USC, Robinson made All-Catholic second team honors at end in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1952.

Nov. 25 — Ernie McMillan, football
Born: Feb. 21, 1938
High school: DuSable (Chicago, Ill.)
Bio: McMillan played football as well as basketball, helping the hoops team go 31-2 and finish second in the state.

Nov. 30 — Lou Carnesecca, basketball
Born: Jan. 5, 1925
High school: Archbishop Molloy (Queens, N.Y.)
Bio: The St. John's basketball coach played basketball and was a starting shortstop in baseball at St. Anne's, which later became Archbishop Molloy.

Dec. 2 — Don Ohl, basketball
Born: April 18, 1936
High school: Edwardsville (Ill.)
Bio: A five-time NBA All-Star, Ohl was all-state as a senior while leading Edwardsville to a third-place finish in the state tournament.

Dec. 5 — Bill Melton, baseball
Born: July 7, 1945
High school: Duarte (Calif.)
Bio: The longtime White Sox slugger played basketball and baseball at Duarte.



Dec. 10 — Rocky Colavito, baseball
Born: Aug. 10, 1933
High school: Roosevelt (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Bio: The nine-time MLB All-Star dropped out of Roosevelt as a sophomore before eventually signing with the Cleveland Indians at age 17.

Dec. 16 — Dick Van Arsdale, basketball
Born: Feb. 22, 1943
High school: Emmerich Manual (Indianapolis, Ind.), now Christel House at Manual (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Bio: The three-time All-NBA pick earned third team All-American honors by Parade Magazine in 1961 along with his twin brother Tom.

Dec. 20 — Ricky Henderson, baseball
Born: Dec. 25, 1958
High school: Oakland Tech (Oakland, Calif.)
Bio: The Hall of Fame baseball great was a four-sport athlete at Oakland Tech, rushing for 1,153 yards in football, leading scorer in basketball, a 9.9 second, 100-yard sprinter in track and an All-Northern California selection in baseball (.463 batting average).

Dec. 25 — Bill Bergey, football
Born: Feb. 9, 1945
High school: Pine Valley Central (South Dayton, N.Y.)
Bio: A standout fullback, Bergey also started on the basketball team and set school pole vault records in track at Pine Valley. Went on to become a five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker with the Bengals and Eagles.