Darryl Stingley Dies

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley died in Chicago today, nearly 29 years after he was paralyzed during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders.

According to authorities, the 55-year-old Stingley was found unconscious in his home early this morning and later was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Cook County medical examiner's office determined in an autopsy that Stingley died from bronchial pneumonia and heart disease complicated by quadriplegia.

"In my conversations with Darryl, he always spoke of the future, not the past," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a written statement. "I don't think he ever held grudges and I know that he was uncomfortable accepting anyone's sympathy. He wanted to find ways to positively impact the lives of those around him and did so throughout his life."

Stingley suffered a broken neck in a collision with Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum while trying to catch a pass during an Aug. 12, 1978 exhibition game in Oakland. He was left a quadriplegic and was wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. He did regain partial movement in his right arm and was able to operate his electric wheelchair.

Stingley played five seasons for the Patriots after being selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft out of Purdue. One of Stingley's three sons, Derek, played in the Arena Football League.

By Mark Maske |  April 5, 2007; 4:30 PM ET  | Category:  Patriots
Previous: Jones Expecting Punishment By Goodell | Next: Saints Release Carney

Posted by: Fan4life | April 5, 2007 7:13 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.