Baltimore Colts legend John Mackey -- the man who most football observers will agree is responsible, among his many accomplishments, for defining the tight end position as we know it today -- passed away last week at the age of 69.
From his obit at the New York Times:
"John Mackey, who bowled over defensive linemen and streaked past pass defenders as one of the N.F.L.'s greatest tight ends, then fought against free-agency restrictions as the president of the league's players union, died on Wednesday in Baltimore. He was 69.
His death was announced by the Baltimore Ravens, the successor franchise in that city to the Colts, for whom Mackey starred as the prototype of the current-day tight end. He had dementia, which his wife, Sylvia, believed was most likely caused by football collisions."
Read the full obituary here.