SUMMARY
- Chuck Hughes, a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, tragically passed away at the age of 28 during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills in 1971.
- In a game against the Chicago Bears in October 1971, Hughes entered as an injury replacement and after receiving a pass, suddenly collapsed on the field.
Born on March 2, 1943, Chuck Hughes was the Detroit Lions’ wide receiver who started playing for the league in 1967. He ended his association with the NFL due to his untimely demise in 1971. He had also played for the Philadelphia Eagles during his tenure with the league. Let’s delve deeper into the life of the only player in the NFL who had died in harness.
In the year 1971, the NFL witnessed a very disconsolate event when one of its brightest players suffered a miserable fate. Chuck Hughes suffered demise while playing on-field. In August 1971, in a game against the Buffalo Bills, he was inflicted with an injury and consequently collapsed in his locker room. The doctors failed to correctly diagnose the issue on time.
Chuck was suspected to have a spleen injury. Despite having other indispositions like acid reflux he decided to continue his game for the last two months of his life. The wide receiver could not survive to see his stardom flourish and reach his full potential, succumbing to death at the age of 28 years old.
How did Chuck Hughes die at the very young age of 28?
In August 1971, Chuck Hughes’ vicissitudes started. He suffered a major injury in a match against the Buffalo Bills and two months later he suffered an untimely demise. He also had some other maladies apart from the suspected spleen injury. In October the Lions hosted the Chicago Bears and in the later division of the game, the Lions were leading with a trail 28-23.
The Lions then further drove into the Chicago territory when Hughes entered the game as an injury replacement. He got a 32-yarder pass from the QB Greg Landry.
At the end moment, Hughes started running back to the huddle. All of a sudden during his attempt he clutched his chest and tripped down near the 20-yard line. He started to convulse vigorously on the field.
It was first cited by the linebacker Dick Butkus. He then approached Hughes for assistance. After this Hughes was rushed to the Henry Ford Hospital and was pronounced to have left for his heavenly abode at 5:34 pm that afternoon. The Tigers stadium came to a brink and people were stuck aghast. A postmortem later declared that Hughes suffered advanced arteriosclerosis.
It is believed that he had a family history of heart disease. The direct reason for his demise was a coronary thrombosis. In this blood gets cut off from the heart which results in a major myocardial infarction. He then rested in peace and was buried in San Antonio, Texas. His entire team comprising 40 players attended his funeral to give tribute to the legendary player.
All you need to know about Chuck Hughes’ family
Chuck Hughes was born in Philadelphia and lived in Texas at a young age. He had 12 siblings and was schooled at the Abilene High School. Hughes apart from holding his expertise in football also plays exceptionally well golf. He had also played with legends Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lee Trevino and was also more than a family to his head coach Joe Schmidt.
After his demise, he was survived by his wife Sharon Leah. His son, Brandon Shane was just two years old when he lost his father. Sharon Hughes also was shaken at the core when Hamlin collapsed in the field like her husband. She also filed lawsuits and alleged the Henry Ford Hospital for malpractice, following which the lawsuit was then ended in October 1974 for an unveiled amount of money.
Career details of the Lions’ Chuck Hughes
Hughes entered the league in 1967 and joined the Philadelphia Eagles. He played three seasons with them and then was traded to the Lions at the beginning of 1970. His NFL career has a short span of life owing to his untimely death. He played mostly in special teams in the position of a wide receiver.
Hughes built his collegiate career with the Texas Western Miners where he has registered a myriad of records to his name. In the franchise, he had the most yards recorded per receptions in a single game. He also made the highest number of receptions in a single game. He was honored and placed in the UTEP Hall of Fame posthumously in the year 2006.