The sports world lost some of its greatest athletes in 2022, including NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell, four-time Super Bowl champion Franco Harris and 300-win pitcher Gaylord Perry.
MaxPreps pays respect to those who passed away with a look back at their high school exploits. Athletes only include those who played high school sports in the United States. Athletes are listed in chronological order of their death.
Spencer Webb was a standout at Christian Brothers in Sacramento and starring at the University of Oregon when he died July 13 at a Eugene-area swimming hole.
Dan Reeves
Died: Jan. 1
Born: Jan. 19, 1944
High School: Americus (Ga.) now
Sumter County (Americus, Ga.)Bio:
One of three Reeves first cousins, along with Bob and Jerry Reeves, who
starred in three sports at Americus during the 1960-61 season. Dan
Reeves was an all-star quarterback before moving on to play in the NFL
for the Dallas Cowboys. He also won 201 games as an NFL coach.
Larry Biittner
Died: Jan. 2
Born: July 27, 1946
High School: Pocahontas Catholic (Pocahontas, Iowa)
Bio:
A pitcher in high school, Biitner was also a standout basketball
player, earning all-state honors as a senior (second team) and junior
(fourth team). Played 14 years in the Major Leagues as an outfielder.
Jim Corsi
Died: Jan. 4
Born: Sept. 9, 1961
High School: Newton North (Newtonville, Mass.)Bio: Went 7-0 as a senior in leading Newton North to a Suburban League championship. Played 10 Major League seasons.
Ross Browner
Died: Jan. 4
Born: March 22, 1954
High School: Warren Western Reserve (Ohio), now closed
Bio:
One of four Browner brothers to make the NFL, Ross earned Class AAA
all-state honors as a senior in 1972. He played 10 seasons in the NFL.
Ralph Neely
Died: Jan. 5
Born: Sept. 12, 1943
High School: Farmington (N.M.)Bio:
An all-state tackle as a senior, Neely was also honorable mention
all-state as a junior. He played 13 seasons at left offensive tackle for
the Dallas Cowboys.
Don Maynard
Died: Jan. 10
Born: Jan. 25, 1935
High School: Colorado (Colorado City, Texas)Bio:
A record-breaking hurdler in track, Maynard earned all-district honors
as a senior running back. He went on to become the NFL's all-time
leading receiver as a member of the New York Jets.
Joe B. Hall
Died: Jan. 15
Born: Nov. 30, 1938
High School: Harrison County (Cynthiana, Ky.)Bio:
Hall earned all-tournament honors at the 1947 Kentucky state basketball
tournament and was honorable mention all-state as a quarterback in
1946. He won a national championship as head coach at the University of
Kentucky in 1978.
Lusia Harris
Died: Jan. 18
Born: Feb. 10, 1955
High School: Amanda Elzy (Greenwood, Miss.)Bio:
Harris averaged 30.1 points per game and 25 rebounds while earning
all-star honors as a senior in 1973. She earned the distinction of being
the first woman drafted by the NBA in 1977 by the New Orleans Jazz.
Bob Goalby
Died: Jan. 19
Born: March 14, 1929
High School: Belleville West (Belleville, Ill.)Bio:
A multi-sport athlete who quarterbacked the football team, was the
leading scoring on the basketball team and a pitcher on the state
champion baseball team, Goalby became a professional golfer and won the
1968 Masters.
Gene Clines
Died: Jan. 27
Born: Oct. 6, 1946
High School: Harry Ells (Richmond, Calif.), now closed
Bio:
Earned honorable mention all-league honors as a third baseman.
Eventually played 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, winning a World
Series with the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Gerald Williams
Died: Feb. 8
Born: August 10, 1966
High School: Byrd (Shreveport, La.)Bio: An outstanding catcher in high school, Williams played outfield at Grambling and then 13 seasons in the Major Leagues.
Jeremy Giambi
Died: Feb. 9
Born: Sept. 30, 1974
High School: South Hills (West Covina, Calif.)Bio:
Earned All-Southern Section honors as a utility player, batting .400
with an 8-2 pitching record. Played seven seasons in the Major Leagues.
Charley Taylor
Died: Feb. 19
Born: Sept. 28, 1941
High School: Dalworth (Grand Prairie, Texas), now closed
Bio:
An all-state player in football, Taylor led Dalworth to the Prairie
View Athletic League state championship game in 1958. Also standout in
track and field and basketball. A member of the NFL Hall of Fame.
Julio Cruz
Died: Feb. 22
Born: Dec. 2, 1954
High School: Redlands (Calif.)Bio: Cruz was all-league second team in basketball and all-league first team in baseball. Played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues.
Ken Burrough
Died: Feb. 24
Born: July 14, 1948
High School: Raines (Jacksonville, Fla.)Bio:
Burrough was the first black quarterback to play at Raines. He went on
to become an All-Pro wide receiver with the Houston Oilers.
Lionel James
Died: Feb. 25
Born: May 25, 1962
High School: Dougherty (Albany, Ga.)Bio:
James earned a scholarship to Auburn in football, but he was also
all-state in basketball while averaging 18 points a game. Played five
seasons in the NFL.
Shane Olivea
Died: March 2
Born: Oct. 7, 1981
High School: Lawrence (Cedarhurst, N.Y.)Bio: Won the Matone Award recognizing him as the best offensive lineman in the Nassau area. Played four seasons in the NFL.
Tommy Davis
Died: April 3
Born: March 21, 1939
High School: Boys High School (Brooklyn), now
Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.)Bio:
Played basketball and ran track at Boys and eventually signed to play
with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues.
Rayfield Wright
Died: April 7
Born: August 23, 1945
High School: Fairmont (Griffin, Ga.), now closed
Bio:
Standout in basketball in high school and played football his senior
year. Made the NFL Hall of Fame and was the bookend tackle with Ralph
Neely (who passed away in January) for the Dallas Cowboys.
Dwayne Haskins
Died: April 9
Born: May 3, 1997
High School: Bullis (Potomac, Md.)Bio:
Threw for 5,308 yards in high school and played three years in the NFL
before being struck by a dump truck crossing a freeway in Florida.
Gary Brown
Died: April 10
Born: July 1, 1969
High School: Williamsport (Pa.)Bio: Brown earned all-state honors as a senior running back, rushing for 4,111 yards in his career. Played seven years in the NFL.
Daryle Lamonica
Died: April 21
Born: July 17, 1941
High School: Clovis (Calif.)Bio:
Lamonica earned All-Northern California honors as a quarterback at
Clovis. He was also a standout in basketball and baseball and he played
11 seasons in the NFL.
John Stofa
Died: April 22
Born: June 29, 1942
High School: Bishop McCort (Johnstown, Pa.)Bio: A quarterback at Bishop McCort, Stofa was also a standout on the basketball team. He played five seasons in the NFL.
Bob Lanier
Died: May 10
Born: Sept. 10, 1948
High School: Bennett (Buffalo, N.Y.)
Bio:
Averaged 25 points per game as a senior and was All-Western New York
two years in a row. A 15-year NBA veteran and a member of the Basketball
Hall of Fame.
David West
Died: May 14
Born: Sept. 1, 1964
High School: Craigmont (Memphis, Tenn.)Bio: A hard-throwing pitcher in high school, West played 11 seasons in the Majors.
Jeff Gladney
Died: May 30
Born: Dec. 12, 1996
High School: New Boston (Texas)Bio: An all-district wide receiver in high school, Gladney played three seasons in the NFL.
Marion Barber III
Died: June 1
Born: June 10, 1983
High School: Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.)Bio:
Barber earned all-state honors in football, was honorable mention
all-conference in baseball and won a gold medal at the state meet in the
200 meters. Played six seasons in the NFL.
Don Perkins
Died: June 9
Born: March 4, 1938
High School: Waterloo West (Waterloo, Iowa)Bio: A first team all-state pick as a senior, Perkins rushed for 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns. A six-time Pro Bowl selection for the Dallas Cowboys.
Hugh McElhenny
Died: June 17
Born: Dec. 31, 1928
High School: George Washington Prep (Los Angeles)Bio:
A record-breaking track athlete, McElhenny earned All-City honors as a
senior while leading the Generals to the city championship. He had a
Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jaylon Ferguson
Died: June 22
Born: Dec. 14, 1995
High School: West Feliciana (St. Francisville, La.)Bio: A Class 3A all-state player as a senior, Ferguson had 129 tackles and 19 sacks. He played three seasons for the Baltimore Ravens.
Tony Siragusa
Died: June 22
Born: May 14, 1967
High School: Brearley (Kenilworth, N.J.)Bio: Siragusa reportedly had a wrestling record of 97-1 and was all-state in football as an offensive lineman. Played defensive line in the NFL for 12 seasons.
Spencer Webb
Died: July 13
Born: April 7, 2000
High School: Christian Brothers (Sacramento, Calif.)Bio:
Webb earned All-Metro honors by the Sacramento Bee after catching 61
passes for 1,063 yards and 23 touchdowns. He played four seasons for the
Oregon Ducks.
Dwight Smith
Died: July 22
Born: Nov. 8, 1963
High School: Wade Hampton (Greenville, S.C.)Bio: Smith batted .457 with five home runs as a senior. He went on to win a World Series with the Atlanta Braves.
Bill Russell
Died: July 31
Born: Feb. 12, 1934
High School: McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.)Bio:
A late bloomer in high school, Russell started on the 1952 team that
went on to win the Northern California Tournament of Champions, however
Russell graduated at mid-season and did not play in the TOC. He went on
to win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics.
Tom Weiskopf
Died: August 20
Born: Nov. 9, 1942
High School: Benedictine (Cleveland, Ohio)Bio: One of the top golfers in the state as a senior in high school, Weiskopf went on to win 28 tournaments including the 1973 US Open.
Gary Gaines
Died: August 22
Born: May 4, 1949
High School: Crane (Texas)Bio: The quarterback at Crane, Gaines also played basketball and ran track in high school. He went on to lead Odessa Permian to a high school football national championship in 1989 and was immortalized in the book "Friday Night Lights."
Len Dawson
Died: August 24
Born: June 20, 1935
High School: Alliance (Ohio)Bio: The Hall of Fame quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs earned all-state first team honors as a quarterback and was also all-state in basketball after averaging 19.7 points per game.
Ernie Zampese
Died: August 29
Born: March 12, 1936
High School: Santa Barbara (Calif.)Bio: The CIF Player of the Year after rushing for 869 yards and passing for 1,008 yards. Became one of the NFL's top offensive coordinators, winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
Guy Morriss
Died: Sept. 5
Born: May 13, 1951
High School: Sam Houston (Arlington, Texas)Bio: Honorable mention all-district as a tight end, Morriss went on to play center in the NFL for 15 seasons.
Maury Wills
Died: Sept. 19
Born: Oct. 2, 1932
High School: Cardozo (Washington, D.C.)Bio: Before setting stolen base records as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wills played quarterback in football, was a top scorer in basketball and a standout pitcher in baseball at Cardozo.
Greg Lee
Died: Sept. 21
Born: Dec. 12, 1951
High School: Reseda (Calif.)Bio: Lee was the City Section player of the year and earned All-American honors in basketball before playing on a pair of NCAA championship teams with UCLA.
Gavin Escobar
Died: Sept. 28
Born: Feb. 3, 1991
High School: Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)Bio: Earned all-league second team honors in football and teamed with Klay Thompson to lead the Eagles to the 2008 CIF Division III championship in basketball. Played five seasons in the NFL.
Marvin Powell
Died: Sept. 30
Born: Aug. 30, 1955
High School: Seventy-First (Fayetteville, N.C.)Bio: Named to the Parade All-American team in 1971, Powell played 11 seasons in the NFL at offensive tackle.
Jim Sweeney
Died: Oct. 1
Born: Aug. 8, 1962
High School: Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh, Pa.)Bio: Sweeney earned a spot in the Lehigh Valley All-Star Game before an All-American career at Pittsburgh and 16 seasons as a center in the NFL.
Tiffany Jackson
Died: Oct. 3
Born: April 26, 1985
High School: Duncanville (Texas)Bio:
After leading Lincoln (Dallas) to a state championship game appearance
as a sophomore and junior, Jackson transferred to Duncanville and won a
state championship and earned McDonald's All-American honors. Played 11
seasons in the WNBA.
Bruce Sutter
Died: Oct. 13
Born: Jan. 8, 1953
High School: Donegal (Mt. Joy, Pa.)Bio:
Named Donegal athlete of the year after leading baseball team to
Section One championship. He also played quarterback on the football
team and was a starter on the basketball team. A six-time All-Star who
made the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Vince Dooley
Died: Oct. 28
Born: Sept. 4, 1932
High School: McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.)Bio:
Known as McGill Institute when Dooley attended, he quarterbacked the
football team to a 9-1 record and was one of the leading scorers on the
basketball team. He went on to coach Georgia to a national championship
in football in 1980.
John McVay
Died: Oct. 31
Born: Jan. 5, 1931
High School: Washington (Massillon, Ohio)Bio:
Earned all-state honors while playing at Massillon. Had a 41-7-2 record
as a high school coach at Central Catholic before heading to the NFL as
a head coach and general manager.
Ray Guy
Died: Nov. 3
Born: Dec. 22, 1949
High School: Thomson (Ga.)Bio:
In leading Thomson to a pair of state championships, Guy earned
all-state honors as a senior quarterback who also averaged 49.5 yards
per punt. He became the first punter named to the NFL Hall of Fame.
John Hadl
Died: Nov. 30
Born: Feb. 15, 1940
High School: Lawrence (Kan.)Bio:
A quarterback for 16 years in the NFL, Hadl was a halfback in high
school at Lawrence where his team went 9-0 during his junior and senior
seasons. He rushed for 1,028 yards as a senior.
Gaylord Perry
Died: Dec. 1
Born: Sept. 15, 1938
High School: Williamston (N.C.)Bio:
A three-sport star in high school, Perry averaged 23 points per game as
an all-state pick in basketball as a senior. He also had a 33-5
pitching record on the baseball team. Played 21 seasons in the Major
Leagues during a Hall of Fame career.
Paul Silas
Died: Dec. 11
Born: July 12, 1943
High School: McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.)
Bio:
Led the Warriors to a 68-0 record over three seasons. A second-team
Parade All-American as a senior, Silas played 17 seasons in the NBA and
was a longtime head coach in the league. His cousin Anita Pointer of the
Pointer Sisters passed away Dec. 31.
Mike Leach
Died: Dec. 12
Born: March 9, 1961
High School: Cody (Wyo.)Bio: Leach played four years of football in Wyoming before embarking on a 35-year coaching career at the college level.
Curt Simmons
Died: Dec. 13
Born: May 19, 1929
High School: Whitehall (Pa.)Bio: Led baseball team to three league titles and had a 20-year career in the Major Leagues.
Gary Knafelc
Died: Dec. 19
Born: Jan. 2, 1932
High School: Pueblo Central (Pueblo, Colo.)Bio:
A member of one of the top football teams in Colorado in 1949, Knafelc
was also an all-star basketball player. Played 10 seasons in the NFL.
Tom Browning
Died: Dec. 19
Born: April 28, 1960
High School: Franklin Academy (Malone, N.Y.)Bio: Grew up in Wyoming, but played high school baseball in New York before moving on to a Major League Baseball career.
Franco Harris
Died: Dec. 20
Born: March 7, 1950
High School: Rancocas Valley (Mt. Holly, N.J.)Bio: Made second team all-state as a fullback before embarking on a Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ronnie Hillman
Died: Dec. 21
Born: Sept. 14, 1991
High School: La Habra (Calif.)Bio:
Played on two Southern Section championship teams at La Habra, rushing
for 2,866 yards over his final two seasons. Played five seasons in the
NFL.
