Joe Delaney

NFL player
Color=#FF0000
fontcolor=yellow

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ImageWidth=300px
Caption=Delaney (center) in a 1981 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
DateOfBirth=October 30, 1958
Birthplace=Henderson, Texas
DateOfDeath=June 29, 1983 (age age|1958|10|30|1983|6|29)
Deathplace=Monroe, Louisiana
College=Northwestern State
Position=Running back
number=37
Height_ft=5
Height_in=10
Weight_lbs=184
DraftedYear=1981
DraftedRound=2 / Pick 41
Career Highlights=yes
Awards=1981 UPI AFC Rookie of Year
ProBowls=1982
years=1981-1982
teams=Kansas City Chiefs
Stats=yes
DatabaseFootball=DELANJOE01
PFR=DelaJo00
CollegeHOF=70037

Joe Alton Delaney (pronEng|del-AY-nee) (October 30, 1958 - June 29, 1983)cite web | title=Joe Delaney | url=http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DelaJo00.htm | work=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=2008-07-13] was an American football player whose career ended after two seasons in the National Football League.cite web | title=Pro football player Joe Delaney met an heroic end locally | author=Deriso, Nick. | url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080616/SPORTS/80615016/1006/rss02 | work=The News-Star | date=2008-06-16 | accessdate=2008-07-13] In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Delaney set four franchise records that would stand for over 20 years.

He was a two-time All-American athlete for the Northwestern State Demons football team as well as a track and field star. Delaney played two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, and was chosen as the AFC Rookie of the Year in 1981 by United Press International.

Delaney died on June 29, 1983 while attempting to rescue three children from drowning in a lake, and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal from President Ronald Reagan. His jersey number 37 for the Chiefs has not been worn since his death.

Early life

Delaney was born in Henderson, Texas on October 30, 1958, and attended Haughton High School in Louisiana.

Discouraged by his father to pursue his dreams of playing football,cite web | title=Joe Delaney: Don't let the memory fade | first=C.K. | last=Rairden | url=http://www.plattecountylandmark.com/cchatter81.htm | work=The Landmark | date=2002-09-24 | accessdate=2008-07-13] Delaney became the starting wide receiver by his junior year at Haughton. Major Division I schools that scouted him included Grambling State, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana State.cite news | first=Brian | last=Vernellis | authorlink= | author= | coauthors= | title=Remembering Joe Delaney: 'I think about...how life would be if he were still around' | date=2003-07-04 | work=Shreveport, LA Times | accessdate=2008-07-13 | archiveurl=http://cowboyszone.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-9268.html | Archived from [{http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/940458/posts} the original] | archivedate=2004-09-30]

Delaney played for Division I-AA's Northwestern State Demons from 1977 to 1980.cite web | title=Joe Delaney | author= | url=http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=70037 | work=College Football Hall of Fame | date= | accessdate=2008-07-13] After telling his coach of his willingness to play football at the collegiate level, Delaney switched to the running back position. He went on to be an All-American selection in 1979 and 1980.cite web | title=Northwestern State great Joe Delaney's name will go on NFL award | author=Northwestern State University Sports Information | url=http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=northwestern-state-great-joe-delaney-s-n&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 | work=Championship Subdivision News | date=2008-02-26 | accessdate=2008-07-13] While at Northwestern State, Delaney met his future wife, Carolyn, and they had two children by his senior year.

On October 28, 1978, Delaney carried the ball 28 times and gained 299 yards for Northwestern State against Nicholls State University with 263 of the yards coming in the game's second half. Delaney's rushing stats in the second half of the game are an NCAA record. In the same game, he scored four touchdowns, one on a 90-yard run, and led his team to a 28-18 victory.

Delaney finished his career at Northwestern State with 3,047 yards rushing, 31 touchdowns, and 188 points. In 1980, his senior season, he was ranked eighth in the nation in all-purpose rushing yards. On November 22, 1980 he played his last game Northwestern State and the school retired his jersey, number 44, at halftime. Delaney was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

At Northwestern State, Delaney also starred in track. He ran 100 yards in 9.4 seconds in high school and was on the Northwestern State track and field team, which won the NCAA 400-meter relay in 1981. He holds the school 200 meter dash record with a time of 20.64 seconds.

Professional career

Delaney was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. United Press International named him Rookie of the Year of the American Football Conference for the 1981 NFL season after he rushed for 1,121 yards, set four club records, and averaged 80.9 yards a game. Delaney's effort helped propel the Chiefs to a 9–7 record, the team's first winning season since 1973. In his rookie season, he was selected to the Pro Bowl after setting Chiefs records for most yards in a season (1,121), most yards in a game (193 vs. Houston), most consecutive 100-yard-plus games (three) and most 100-yard games in a season (five). All records have since been surpassed by Larry Johnson.Fact|date=July 2008

After coming off the bench to record 101 rushing yards in his initial NFL action at New England, he ran for 106 yards and registered 104 receiving yards in his first professional start against Oakland. In the Chiefs' October 18, 1981 game against the Denver Broncos, Delaney broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run, but an offside penalty caused the play to be re-started from five yards back. On the second play after the penalty, Delaney scored an 82-yard touchdown, [cite web | title=Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs - October 18th, 1981 | author= | url=http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198110180kan.htm | work=Pro Football Reference | date= | accessdate=2008-07-13] the longest rushing play from scrimmage in the 1981 NFL season.

Following Delaney's record-setting 193 yard rushing performance against the Houston Oilers on November 15, 1981, [cite web | title=Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs - November 15th, 1981 | author= | url=http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111150kan.htm | work=Pro Football Reference | date= | accessdate=2008-07-13] Oilers defensive end (and future Pro Football Hall of Famer) Elvin Bethea was quoted in saying:cite web | title=Kansas City Chiefs History: 1980's | author= | url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s/ | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website | date= | accessdate=2008-07-13]

A strike by NFL players and an eye injury limited Delaney’s playing time in the 1982 NFL season. He underwent surgery to repair a detached retina, [http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s/ Kansas City Chiefs History - 1980's] "KCChiefs.com". Accessed 13 March 2008.] and only registered 380 rushing yards in the eight-game shortened season, which the Chiefs finished with a 3–6 record. Delaney averaged 4.6 yards per carry, 9.1 yards per reception, and registered 1,811 all-purpose yards during his career with three touchdowns.cite web | title=NCAA Award of Valor Winners - Joseph Alton Delaney | author=Naitonal Collegiate Athletic Association | url=http://www.ncaa.org/awards/honors_program/valor/joe_delaney.html | work=NCAA.org | date= | accessdate=2008-07-13]

Professional statistics

Death and legacy

Delaney had a lifelong history of helping others, and once paid for the funeral of a former teacher whose family could not afford a proper service. On June 29, 1983, at Critter's Creek–a since-closed amusement park at Chennault Park in Monroe, Louisiana–Delaney dived into a pond and tried to save three children who were screaming for help. The children were floundering in a water hole left by recent construction work. The water hole, which covered two acres and was 20 feet deep,cite web | title=No ordinary Joe | last=Reilly | first=Rick | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/rick_reilly/news/2003/07/01/reilly0707/ | work=Sports Illustrated | date=2003-07-03 | accessdate=2008-07-13] was not intended to be a swimming pond but instead to be used to add aesthetics. Despite his inexperience in swimming, Delaney tried to rescue the children.cite web | title=Chiefs should pause to honor a hero | last=Sangamino | first=Pat | url=http://www.kfoxtv.com/sh/sports/columnist/stories/columnists-89126020010726-140730.html | work=KFOX-TV (El Paso, TX) | date=2001-07-26 | accessdate=2008-07-13] One child was saved while two children and Delaney died by drowning. Delaney was in the park with friends and had earlier encouraged the children not to go far out in the pond.

Three thousand people attended Delaney's burial and memorial service on July 4 which was held in Haughton High School's gymnasium. President Ronald Reagan honored Delaney with the Presidential Citizens Medal on July 15, and it was presented to Delaney's family by Vice President George H. W. Bush. Reagan's words were:

For the 1983 NFL season, the Chiefs honored Delaney by wearing a circular patch bearing a gold eagle and the number 37 on the upper-left chest of their uniforms. [cite web | title=Chiefs Uniform History| author= | url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/uniform/ | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website | accessdate=2008-07-13] The NCAA posthumously awarded Delaney the NCAA Award of Valor in 1984.cite web | title=Joe Delaney, 2004 Hall of Fame Inductee, Kansas City Chiefs| author= | url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/hall_of_fame/joe_delaney/ | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website | accessdate=2008-07-13] Louisiana Governor Dave Treen presented the Louisiana State Civilian Bravery Award to Delaney's family following his death.

Delaney's heroism is honored through an award for one of the NFL's best running backs who also demonstrates admirable character and unselfishness, traits that were embodied by Delaney. The award is given annually by ProFootballTalk.com.

Northwestern State’s football permanent team captains award, the Joe Delaney Memorial Leadership award, is named in his honor, as is the annual spring football game ("Delaney Bowl")cite web | title=Joe Delaney headed for Chiefs ring of honor Sunday| author= | url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2004/09/23/joe_delaney_headed_for_chiefs_ring_of_honor_sunday/ | work=Kansas City Chiefs official website | date=2004-09-23| accessdate=2008-07-13] and a golf tournament that generates support for the athletic program. A permanent shrine honoring him sits under the home stands at Northwestern State's Turpin Stadium and his number 44 jersey hangs in the football offices. In Maryland, the Delaney Athletic Conference took its name to honor his memory in the fall of 1983, and today 13 north Virginia high schools comprise the DAC.

A group of Chiefs fans in Kansas City formed the "37Forever Foundation," which works with the American Red Cross to provide swimming lessons for underprivileged children. The Kansas City Chiefs unofficially retired Delaney's jersey number 37 following his death, and was elected to the team's Hall of Fame in 2004. His name is included in the Chiefs' ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium.

See also

*List of sports people who have died during their playing career

References