Jack Craig: Watching the Watchmen

In 1967, reporter Jack Craig received an unusual assignment — report on the NFL championship game on TV but focus on the telecast, not the game.

John Heisman: 20 Facts

College football wouldn't be what it is today without pioneering coach John W. Heisman.

Walter Payton's Sweet NFL Career

On Nov. 1, 1999, the NFL lost one of its all-time greatest players, running back Walter Payton .

The Multitalented Merlin Olsen

Merlin Olsen wasn't one to limit himself to a single career. Not even just two careers were enough for him… not even three.

Chuck Connors, Cowboy

Chuck Connors could have stuck with his pro sports career, but we're glad he switched to acting...

Their Love Lives On

NFL veteran Chris Draft and his wife Keasha shared a powerful love. It lives on even after her death at age 38, just a month after their wedding.

Fan's Obit Rocks Cleveland

For years, brothers and Browns fans Bill and Scott Entsminger joked about the zinger they would put in their obituaries.

Papa Bear George Halas

We take a look back at NFL co-founder and football legend George Halas, Chicago’s own “Papa Bear.”

Lindy Infante (1940 - 2015)

Former NFL coach Lindy Infante has died in Florida, according to The Associated Press. He was 75.

Sam Adams

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Sam Adams has died in Houston at the age of 67, according to the Associated Press.

Doug Atkins (1930 - 2015), Hall of Fame NFL defensive lineman

Doug Atkins, a defensive lineman who was elected to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, has died at 85.

Ted Marchibroda (1931–2016), former Colts head coach

Ted Marchibroda was aformer Colts head coach and broadcaster.

Gary Jeter (1955 - 2016), NFL defensive lineman

Gary Jeter, a defensive lineman for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, has died. He was 61.

Tray Walker (1992 - 2016), Baltimore Ravens cornerback

Tray Walker, a cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens, died March 18 as a result of injuries sustained in a dirt bike accident in Liberty City, Florida, according to multiple news sources. He was 23.

Kevin Turner (1969 - 2016)

Kevin Turner, a former NFL and University of Alabama fullback, died Thursday after a six-year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, according to ESPN. He was 46.

Will Smith (1981 - 2016), New Orleans Saints defensive end

Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was shot to death Saturday night in New Orleans, according to ESPN.

Winston Hill (1941 - 2016), New York Jets Super Bowl champ

Winston Hill, the former New York Jets tackle who helped protect quarterback Joe Namath in the Jets' 1969 Super Bowl win, died April 26, according to multiple news sources, including The Associated Press. He was 74. In a news release, the team's owner, Woody Johnson, said Hill was "one of the Jets' all-time greats." "I was very sad to hear of the passing of Winston Hill," Johnson said. "He was our most decorated player with a franchise-record eight all-star game appearances. And as accomplished as he was on the field, he was an even better person whose profound impact on his teammates and those who came in contact with him left an impression for a lifetime. "He was the type of man who, if you were his friend, you thought you were his best friend."

Bryan Robinson (2016), former Chicago Bears defensive lineman

Bryan Robinson, a former Chicago Bears defensive lineman, died June 11, 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was 41.

Earl Faison (1939–2016), San Diego Chargers defensive end

Earl Faison, a former San Diego Chargers defensive end, died June 12, 2016, according to the team. He was 77.

Buddy Ryan (1934 - 2016), Chicago Bears Super Bowl coach

James David "Buddy" Ryan, who coached NFL teams including the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears, died June 28 after a long battle with cancer, according to his agent. He was 82.

Kyle Calloway (1987 - 2016), Buffalo Bills offensive tackle

Kyle Calloway, a former professional football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills, died July 2, 2016, after he was struck by a train while jogging near the railroad tracks in Vail, Arizona. He was 29.

Dennis Green (1949 - 2016), NFL head coach

Dennis Green, the former head coach of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, died July 22, 2016, of complications of cardiac arrest, according to multiple news sources. He was 67. Green’s family also announced the death in a news release. Green coached for 13 NFL seasons, making the playoffs eight times. His win-loss record in the NFL was 113-94.

Cary Blanchard (1968 - 2016), Indianapolis Colts All-Pro kicker

Cary Blanchard, a former NFL All-Pro kicker for the Indianapolis Colts, died Sept. 6, 2016, according to his wife. He was 47.

Quentin Groves (1984 - 2016), NFL linebacker

Quentin Groves, a former NFL linebacker, died Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, according to multiple news sources. He was 32.

Dennis Byrd (1966 - 2016), New York Jets defensive end

Former New York Jets defensive end Dennis Byrd has died in an auto accident, according to ESPN. He was 50.

Gail Cogdill (1937 - 2016), Detroit Lions wide receiver

Gail Cogdill, former Detroit Lions wide receiver, died Thursday, October 20, in Spokane, Washington according to multiple news sources. He was 79.

Bill Stanfill (1947 - 2016), Miami Dolphins defensive end

Bill Stanfill, a former Miami Dolphins defensive end, died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, of complications from a bad fall, according to multiple news sources. He was 69.

Joe McKnight (1988 - 2016), NFL running back

Joe McKnight, a former NFL running back, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in a road-rage shooting in the New Orleans suburb of Terrytown, Louisiana, according to multiple news sources, including NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune. He was 28. In 2010, McKnight was a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Jets. He made his NFL debut in October of that year. He scored his first NFL touchdown Oct. 2, 2011, returning a kickoff for 107 yards, which was the longest play in his team's history.

Rashaan Salaam (1974–2016)

Rashaan Salaam, a former Heisman Trophy-winning running back, has died at the age of 42, according to ESPN.

Dave Edwards (1939 - 2016), Super Bowl champ with Dallas Cowboys

NFL linebacker Dave Edwards, who played in three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. He was 76.

Konrad Reuland (1987–2016), NFL tight end

Konrad Reuland played in the NFL with the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Baltimore Ravens.

Keion Carpenter (1977 - 2016), NFL defensive back

Keion Carpenter, a former defensive back with the NFL's Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons, died Dec. 29, 2016, in Miami, Florida, while vacationing with his family, according to multiple news sources. He was 39. Carpenter, who also excelled as a special teams player, collapsed Dec. 28 and died the following day. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, the team traded him to the Atlanta Falcons; he played with that team from 2002 to 2005. During his professional career, Carpenter had 206 tackles, 14 interceptions, and one touchdown.

David Modell (1960 - 2017), former Baltimore Ravens president

David Modell, a former president of the Baltimore Ravens football team, died Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, after a lengthy battle with lung cancer, according to multiple news sources. He was 55. The son of former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell, he served as the team’s president from 1996 to 2004, when the team was sold to a new ownership group led by Steve Biscotti. The younger Modell oversaw the negotiations of player contracts as well as running other aspects of the team’s business. He also influenced the decision to hire coach Brian Billick, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000.

Dan Rooney (1932 - 2017), Pittsburgh Steelers chairman

Dan Rooney, the chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Thursday, April 13, 2017, according to the team. He was 84.

Yale Lary (1930 - 2017), Detroit Lions Hall of Famer

NFL Hall of Famer, 9-time Pro-Bowler played for the Lions...

Cortez Kennedy (1968 - 2017), Seattle Seahawks Hall of Famer

NFL Hall of Fame defensive tackle played for Seattle…

James Hardy (1985 - 2017), Buffalo Bills wide receiver

Former wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills…

Larry Grantham (1938–2017), New York Jets linebacker

Former Jets linebacker who was a five-time AFL All-Star.

Keith Loneker (1971 - 2017), NFL player turned actor

Keith Loneker, a former NFL offensive lineman who became a character actor in nearly a dozen films, died of cancer Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Lawrence, Kansas, according to multiple news sources. He was 46.

Mitchell Henry (1992 - 2017), former NFL tight end

Mitchell Henry, a former NFL tight end, died Friday, June 30, 2017, of leukemia, according to multiple news sources. He was 24.

Babe Parilli (1930 - 2017), former NFL quarterback

Former NFL and AFL quarterback…

Bob Wolff (1920–2017), legendary New York sports broadcaster

Legendary New York sports broadcaster.

Bernie Casey (1939 – 2017), artist, actor, and athlete

Bernie Casey, former NFL player turned actor, died Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. He was 78.

Joe Fortunato (1930 – 2017), Chicago Bears linebacker known for speed

Joe Fortunato, former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, who helped team win 1963 NFL title, died Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Mississippi, according to The Associated Press. He was 87.

J.C. Caroline (1933 – 2017), College Football Hall of Fame running back

J.C. Caroline, former Chicago Bears defensive back and stand-out University of Illinois running back, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 84.

Terry Glenn (1974 – 2017), former NFL wide receiver

Pro-Bowl selection in 1999…

John Thierry (1971 – 2017), former NFL defensive end was a first round pick for the Chicago Bears in 1994

Played 9 seasons for the Bears, Browns, Packers, and Falcons…

Ron Meyer (1941 – 2017), Patriots head coach during infamous “Snowplow Game”

Former head coach of SMU, Patriots and Colts…

Tommy Nobis (1943 – 2017), longtime Atlanta Falcons linebacker

Tommy Nobis, longtime Atlanta Falcons linebacker, died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, following an extended illness, according to The Associated Press. He was 74.