Lamar Lundy dies at 71
Lamar Lundy, a member of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, died Saturday at Richmond, Ind. He was 71.
He died after a long illness in his hometown, the Community Family Funeral Home said.
Lundy spent his entire 13-year career with the Rams (1957-69). He teamed with Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones – both Pro Football Hall of Famers – and Roosevelt Grier to form a mighty defensive line. In 1968, the defense featuring the four set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season.
Olsen called Lundy, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, the anchor of the line.
“He was a tremendous performer and a better person,” Olsen told the Palladium-Item newspaper. … “He really was the stabilizing force, Mr. Consistency. He was an incredibly important part of that equation.”
Broncos running back dies
Denver running back Damien Nash collapsed and died after a charity basketball game in suburban St. Louis, less than two months after the slaying of teammate Darrent Williams.
“We have been informed of the passing of Damien Nash,” team spokesman Jim Saccomano said. “We are attempting to get more details.”
Officials at Christian Hospital in St. Louis said Nash, 24, died early in the evening. The cause of death wasn’t immediately determined.
Nash collapsed shortly after participating in the game benefiting a foundation named for older brother Darris Nash. The foundation raises money for heart transplant research. It was established last month, after Darris Nash received a heart transplant.
“The Denver Broncos organization is once again struck with profound sadness over the tragic loss of one of our players,” team owner Pat Bowlen said in a statement. “This is a tremendous tragedy and our hearts go out to the entire Nash family.”
The Broncos are still reeling from the slaying of Williams, who was shot once in the neck while leaving a New Year’s Eve party in his rented stretch Hummer in downtown Denver hours after the season ended. His slaying remains unsolved.
Nash was from East St. Louis, Ill., and played two years at Missouri after playing at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.
A fifth-round draft choice by Tennessee in 2005, Nash played in three games for the Titans. The Broncos signed him as a free agent last season and he played in three games, rushing for 66 yards on 18 carries. In his two-year career, he had 24 carries for 98 yards and seven receptions for 55 yards.
Falcons’ Kerney tests free agency
Atlanta Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney voided his contract, and potentially lucrative free-agent options could make it difficult for the team to re-sign their top pass rusher.
Kerney opted out of the final two years of his contract to explore his options as an unrestricted free agent, the team confirmed.