Chuck Hughes
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick "Chuck" Hughes (March 2, 1943 – October 24, 1971) was an American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
from 1967
to 1971
. He is, to date, the only NFL player to die on the field during a game.
. He moved with his family to Texas
when he was young, along with his twelve siblings. Hughes attended high school in Abilene, Texas
.
at Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso
) where he is still listed in the all-time football records; his accomplishments include:
He was inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles
in the 1967 NFL Draft
and played three seasons with the Eagles before he was traded to the Detroit Lions
prior to the start of the 1970 season
. Although listed as a wide receiver he saw most action on special teams, being a backup at wide receiver. In his five-year career he caught only 15 passes.
during the final minutes of a game versus the Chicago Bears
at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He had run a pass route but was not part of the play, an incomplete pass intended for Lions tight end
Charlie Sanders
. He was jogging back to the huddle when he collapsed on the Bears' 15-yard line without contact. Initially some thought he was faking an injury to stop the clock, but Bears linebacker
Dick Butkus
frantically signalled for help on the field. It was obvious that he was in serious trouble, and the game was finished in near silence. His teammates were informed of his death before leaving the stadium. Hughes, as it turned out, suffered from advanced arteriosclerosis
. The autopsy revealed that his coronary arteries were 75% blocked and that he had been done in by a blood clot that completely cut the circulation to his heart muscle. and his family had a history of heart problems. Hughes was buried in San Antonio, Texas
, and all 40 of his Lions teammates attended his funeral, including head coach Joe Schmidt
. He is survived by his widow, Sharon Leah, and his son, who was 23-months old at the time, Brendan Shane. A $10,000 trust fund was set up for his son Brendan by an insurance company. His widow filed a $21.5 million malpractice lawsuit against Henry Ford Hospital in 1972 for not diagnosing his condition when he was hospitalized after complaining of chest pains. The lawsuit was settled on October 3, 1974 for an undisclosed amount of money.
The Lions retired his number, 85, in his honor, and annually make an award to the most improved player in his name.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
to 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
. He is, to date, the only NFL player to die on the field during a game.
Early years
Hughes was born on March 2, 1943 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He moved with his family to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
when he was young, along with his twelve siblings. Hughes attended high school in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
.
College career
Hughes played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
) where he is still listed in the all-time football records; his accomplishments include:
- The most all-purpose yardsAll-purpose yardageAll-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the...
in a single game, 401 in 1965 against North Texas State UniversityUniversity of North TexasThe University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
(he is also second with 360 the same year against Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... - The most yards per receptionReception (American football)In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for a single game, 34.9, also in 1965 against North Texas—this is also an NCAA record - The most receptions in a single game, 17, also against Arizona State in 1965
- Second in all-purpose yards for a season, with 2044 in 1966
- First in all-purpose yards per game for a season, 204 in 1965
- Second in all-purpose yards per game for his career with 132
- Fifth in all-purpose yards all-time with 3,989
- Second in career receiving touchdowns with 19 and yardage with 2,882
He was inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
Professional career
Hughes was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1967 NFL Draft
1967 NFL Draft
The 1967 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft in the first year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on March 14–15.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
and played three seasons with the Eagles before he was traded to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
prior to the start of the 1970 season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
. Although listed as a wide receiver he saw most action on special teams, being a backup at wide receiver. In his five-year career he caught only 15 passes.
Death
On October 24, 1971 while playing for the Detroit Lions, he suffered a fatal heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
during the final minutes of a game versus the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He had run a pass route but was not part of the play, an incomplete pass intended for Lions tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Charlie Sanders
Charlie Sanders
Charles Alvin Sanders is a former American football player who played tight end for the Detroit Lions from 1968-77. On February 3, 2007, Sanders was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
. He was jogging back to the huddle when he collapsed on the Bears' 15-yard line without contact. Initially some thought he was faking an injury to stop the clock, but Bears linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
frantically signalled for help on the field. It was obvious that he was in serious trouble, and the game was finished in near silence. His teammates were informed of his death before leaving the stadium. Hughes, as it turned out, suffered from advanced arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...
. The autopsy revealed that his coronary arteries were 75% blocked and that he had been done in by a blood clot that completely cut the circulation to his heart muscle. and his family had a history of heart problems. Hughes was buried in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and all 40 of his Lions teammates attended his funeral, including head coach Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt
Joseph Paul Schmidt is a former American football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. His 13-year career with the National Football League's Detroit Lions gained him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.-Collegiate career:Schmidt grew up in Pittsburgh,...
. He is survived by his widow, Sharon Leah, and his son, who was 23-months old at the time, Brendan Shane. A $10,000 trust fund was set up for his son Brendan by an insurance company. His widow filed a $21.5 million malpractice lawsuit against Henry Ford Hospital in 1972 for not diagnosing his condition when he was hospitalized after complaining of chest pains. The lawsuit was settled on October 3, 1974 for an undisclosed amount of money.
The Lions retired his number, 85, in his honor, and annually make an award to the most improved player in his name.