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Chances are, those outside the realm of Chiefs Nation have never heard of Joe Delaney. If they have, it’s likely they are 35-50 year-olds who craved football in the early ’80’s like I crave football now.
Delaney was drafted in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft from I-AA Northwestern State, where he was a two-time All-American selection. While there, Joe was also a track and field athlete, winning a national championship in the 4 x 100 meter relay.
He burst on to the scene of Arrowhead Stadium in 1981, garnishing rookie of the year honors, and was selected to the Pro-Bowl. He rushed for 1,121 yards and propelled the Chiefs to their first winning season since 1973.
Joe’s second season with the Chiefs was shortened by an eye injury, as well as the NFL player strike. He amassed only 380 yards in the frustrating, injury-plagued season, but was clearly a player on the verge of greatness.
As an 8 year-old boy, Joe was my favorite Chief. I collected his football cards, wrote #37 on the back of my Sears-Roebuck football outfit, and challenged my father to backyard football games, portraying myself as the great running back.
Joe Delaney was my first Superhero.
Then, on June 29, 1983, Joe Delaney waded in to a pond in Monroe, Louisiana, attempting to save three young boys who were screaming for help. Joe, along with two of the boys, perished. One boy happened to make his way to the shallow water, and was saved.
I recall hearing the news that Joe had passed from my father. He was also an avid Chiefs fan, no doubt a product of the AFL years and their historic Superbowl runs. Death was unfamiliar to me, having never lost a family member that I could recall. Only the bad guys on westerns died, not superheroes.
But my superhero was dead. His death widowed a young wife and left three children without a father.
The years that followed Joe’s death were lean for the Chiefs, achieving only two winning seasons until their great run with Marty-Ball in the early 1990’s. During the Chiefs down years, I remember thinking, “If only Joe could still play.”
In July 1983, Joe’s family was honored with the Presidential Citizen’s Medal from President Ronald Reagan. Joe’s #37 has not been worn since, and he graces the ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium. He was elected to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2004.
The next time you visit Arrowhead Stadium and look out upon the Red Sea, scroll the ring of honor, and remember Joe Delaney. His legacy may not be familiar to many, but his ultimate sacrifice will forever make him my favorite Chiefs, and my first superhero.
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Hi Craig, Great post! Feel free to join the Joe Delaney RIP 1958-1983 Group on Facebook. I started it about two weeks ago, and it’s really taking off nicely. Would love to have liked minded (like yourself) join us.
Here’s the link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126267602747
JB
Thanks James – Glad you were able to find this post. I’ll take a peek.
This really is a nice post. My Delaney story is as follows:
I am and was a Cowboys fan. I was born in Ft. Worth and raised in the D.C. area so we had almost no news on AFC teams from out west. I don’t remember seeing Delaney play. However, I used to collect football cards (not well and not many, but I did like that) when I was young and I was 11 in 1983 when I was watching the national news and they reported the story on Delaney. I remembered his card and I went to find it and of all of my cards, his was the only one that I kept and even had framed for years. Hearing how he passed hurt badly and to this day, thinking about that causes those emotions to rise. Joe Delaney, a man I don’t remember seeing play football for a team that I did not follow, is my hero. He was my hero then and as a 38 year old man now, he is still my hero. I tell everyone about his sacrifice as a reminder that within this cycle of wealthy, selfish, spoiled athletes; every once in a while, we can find a diamond. I thought hard about him yesterday when I read that the Vandy recruit was killed giving his mom a chance to escape. I hope and pray that people like him and Delaney have a special place after their short lives here. Thanks for the article and it really was fantastic.