Red Sox fans of a certain vintage will remember Harry Agganis, the Golden Greek. Died of pulmonary embolism at age 26.
Ernie Davis, first African-American Heisman Trophy winner (1961), of leukemia in 1963.
Yep, he did not have a left coronary artery. Amazingly, he played pro-level sports with his right coronary artery hugely increased in size as it compensated for the genetic error. I have no idea how he even made it to 40, but what a tragic end.
Italian cyclist Marco Pantani
Tommy Simpson - died whilst leading the Tour De France
Quite a few other riders too,
There is strong circumstantial evidence there have been many deaths of cyclists due to drugs, especially EPO, conservative estimates put this at 20 odd during a period of 1999-2003, however these are probably the tip of the iceberg since this only covers the pro riders, and there are very many more amateurs, add to this all those riders whose careers were long done, such as Jacques Anquetil and but died much earlier than average.
Yet despite this, I have seen dopers argue that drug use in sport should be allowed since it is so difficult to stamp out or control, maybe those dopers have an appropriate handle.
This is absolutely horrifying. I know that there were two high profile players in Italian soccer who died young with this disease but had no idea the number was this high (unless the number is exaggerated). Surely there is some kind of investigation being done to try to understand why this is happening at such a high rate and limited, apparently, to Italian soccer.
Other Boston athletes:
Tony Conigliaro
Reggie Lewis
Len Bias
Darryl Stingley
How about Colombian soccer player Andrés Escobar?
He was murdered after accidentally scoring a goal against his own team in a match against the USA.
This article from The Guardian gives the number of casualties as 51. This was five years ago; there may well be more since.
Investigations are being carried out, repetitive head trauma and pesticides have been put forward as triggers but, as you say, why apparently limited to Italian soccer?
Here’s another take on this topic: what about thoroughbred race horses that died too young? In a sense, they are “athletes.”
Ruffian the filly was three in 1976 when she broke down in a match race against that year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. I watched that race live, and she was pulling away when she broke down.
In 2006, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down in the Preakness Stakes and never recovered.
A Chicago native basketball player who was ranked 1 in the nation who died in a shooting before his senior year of basketball in highschool at 17 or 18 I believe.
It really annoys me when people equate horse racing with sport.
I have some respect for the show-jumping and cross-country equestrian events at the Olympics (dressage is patently ridiculous). But horse racing has nothing to do with sport.
It’s just a form of gambling. Calling a horse an athlete because it won a race is like calling spades an athlete because it won a hand of poker, or calling the number 7 an athlete because it won a hand of craps.
So all horses have an equal chance of winning any given race?
Is this a whoosh? 
He didn’t exactly *die *too young, but he lost his career and his ability to lead a normal life too young.
I don’t think any of those top cyclists would have made a different decision even if they’d known it would cost them a couple of decades. For even a brief period, they knew they were on top, they were doing everything they were even theoretically capable of, they were doing something so intense they could nourish themselves off it forever. And those last couple of decades were going to suck anyway. The decision is not one that you or I might make, but I do think it’s understandable - and it’s inevitable that some will make it, now and in the future.
Elvis-IIRC he was only in his 50s when he died. He was 55.
Elvis? An athlete? What was his event? Teevee Shooting? Nanner-Sammich Eatin’? Extreme Colon Prolapse for Distance?
I was responding to ElvisL1ves about Darryl Stingley. But you knew that! :rolleyes:
These guys died after a full career, but they still died too young: Mike Webster (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Junior Seau (San Diego Chargers).
Actually, Captain Roll-Eyes, I didn’t know that. Sorry for stepping all over your cogent analysis of 55 years of age being young.
And as a 47-year-old, I also thank you.