30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF JOE DELANEY: A TRUE AMERICAN HERO-On this day 30 years ago, a great man who had his whole life ahead of him did a courageous brave act that many of us probably would not do. This man was Joe Delaney, runningback for Kansas City Chiefs who heard kids in peril and jumped in a pond in Monroe , Louisiana and tried to save the three drowning kids. Joe wasnât the only person near the pond that summer day but he was the only person that jumped to help. Delaney didnât know how to swim but that didnât stop him either. The boys in that pit were yelling for help was two brothersâHarry and LeMarkits Holland, 11 and 10, and a cousin, Lancer Perkins, 11. According Rick Reillyâs 2003 SI article, LeMarkits Holland the boy who Delaney managed to save described the incident. âHolland remembers the water filling his lungs, the sensation of being pulled to the cold bottom, when all of a sudden a huge hand grabbed his shoulder and heaved him out of the deep water. Delaney dived for the other two boys, sinking below the surface. Folks along the bank waited for him to come up, but he never did. Harry and Lancer drowned with him.âÂ
Many would ask why Delaney would risk so much for people he didnât even know but to people that knew him best knew, that was Joe he always thought of others before himself. When Joe started making money in the NFL he built a simple two-bedroom brick house back home in Haughton, on the same street where his mother and his wife Carolyn folks lived. He also always mowed a lonely womanâs lawn when he was back home in Haughton, La because she couldnât do it herself. He also checked in on that old man every day he was in town. He also once paid for the funeral of a former teacher whose family could not afford a proper service. According to Rick Reilly he showed up on the Haughton streets one day with a bag full of new shoes and clothes for kids whose names heâd never heard. The guy never wanted anything, the only thing he ever splurged on was a fully-loaded baby blue Cougar. The man never cashed a paycheck in his life. He would throw his checks on top of the TV for his wife. âDonât you want nothing for yourself?â Carolyn would ask Joe.âNah,â heâd say. âYou just take care of you and the girls.â
Joe Delaney was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1981 NFL Draft out of Northwestern State University. He was looked as undersized back one of the reasons some teams passed on him. During his first year with Chiefs he rushed for 1,121 yards, set four club records, and averaged 80.9 yards a game. Delaneyâs helped propel the Chiefs to a 9â7 record, the teamâs first winning season since 1973.He also won Rookie of the year and went to the Pro Bowl that year. Delaney was compared to Gale Sayers and Tony Dorsett because of their power running styles. Many believe he would be in the Hall of Fame if his career wasnât cut short by his death.Â
After his heroic act that lead his death, he received many awards for his bravery including the Presidential Citizens Medal. The Kansas City Chiefs unofficially retired Delaneyâs jersey number 37 following his death, and he was elected to the teamâs Hall of Fame in 2004. His name is included in the Chiefsâ ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium. A group of Chiefs fans in Kansas City formed the â37Forever Foundation,â which works with the American Red Cross to provide swimming lessons for underprivileged children.
When your tired hearing about these athletes today crying about how much they get paid or the ones that arrested for DUIâs or murder. Think of Joe Delaney who is remembered for being a heroic, unselfish, and humble person.(Photo: SBNation)
- Submitted by Jackie Quattro
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