Saints legendary kicker Tom Dempsey dies
at the age of 73 from COVID-19 complications
CBS Sports,
by
Tyler Sullivan
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
4/5/2020 2:57:47 PM
New Orleans Saints legendary kicker Tom Dempsey died at 73 years old Saturday, the team announced Sunday morning. Dempsey, who was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1989, died from complications of COVID-19, which he contracted on March 25. He's also battled Alzheimer's disease and dementia since 2012. (Snip) Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot and fingers on his right hand, but was still able to turn in a strong kicking career with the Saints after signing on with the club in 1969 as an undrafted free agent. Because of that disability, he wore a
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Luke21 4/5/2020 3:09:58 PM (No. 369605)
Tom was a good man. Signed every autograph for the fans. Made an amazing kick to beat the Detroit Lions (who had a good team) in 1970. Blessings and grief wishes to those who knew him. Rest in peace, Tom.
12 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Italiano 4/5/2020 3:18:27 PM (No. 369610)
i remember that kick. The Lions thought that it was such a joke that they didn't even try to block it. I think that it was Alex Karras who prostrating himself on the field when it went through.
RIP, Tom. Nice man.
14 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Urgent Fury 4/5/2020 3:25:38 PM (No. 369620)
Sad news, but WuFlu wasn't his only problem.
8 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
LeeBertie 4/5/2020 3:49:49 PM (No. 369652)
"He's also battled Alzheimer's disease and dementia since 2012."
But, of course, his COD has to be Covid-19 since he tested positive 11 days ago.
See BS Sports says so.
11 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Suzi 4/5/2020 4:09:03 PM (No. 369673)
Oh my. Alzheimers for 8 years with onset in his 60's. That's a long time and hard on everyone. I hope he went peacefully and comfortably.
14 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
OK state mom 4/5/2020 4:11:42 PM (No. 369677)
His cause of death WAS Covid-19 but he also had Alzheimer's. I would venture he had a DNR. You do not put someone with a DNR and end-stage Alzheimer's on a vent during non-pandemic times. You certainly do not during a pandemic possibly denying someone who has viable opportunity to recover that chance. Not to mention the man hours to man the ICU bed-vent that would taken away from someone viable.
10 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
LeeBertie 4/5/2020 4:20:11 PM (No. 369685)
Personal family experience: Dementia causes the brain to stop working. That means the brain stops telling the vital organs to do what vital organs must do to sustain life. Vital organs that stop doing what viral organs must do causes death. Any other disease is secondary to dementia because the brain is unable to properly function.
19 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
LeeBertie 4/5/2020 4:21:57 PM (No. 369687)
Typo in #7 - not viral organs, but vital organs.
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Grounded 4/5/2020 4:29:32 PM (No. 369695)
in 1970 the NFL goal posts were on the goal line meaning that the 63 yard attempt was spotted at the Saints own 37 yard line, i.e. 13 yards on the wrong side of mid field. Alex Karras was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson right after that game and his account was hilarious.
6 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
lakerman1 4/5/2020 5:20:37 PM (No. 369745)
I remember Karras and his comment on the Tonight Show. He said, 'then he (Dempsey) came clumping out onto the field...'
Karras tried to block the kick. A defensive lineman, when attempting the block, goes for where the ball will be, not where it is.
1 person likes this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Rama41 4/5/2020 5:49:07 PM (No. 369777)
Rest in peace, Tom. I too remember that kick.
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 4/5/2020 7:02:56 PM (No. 369846)
Helluva kick back then. Later on, when no soccer kicker could even get close, they claimed he cheated because his shoe was specially molded to guarantee a straight kick. The NFL will savage their own for ratings. Mixing sports and business is never a good thing. It's ruined the Pros and corrupted College sports as well.
3 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
LadyHen 4/5/2020 9:35:38 PM (No. 369940)
Yes. May God comfort his family and may his soul find peace.
My dad suffered with Alzheimer's for 12 years (started in his early 60's). His death certificate says pneumonia but it was Alzheimer's that robbed his body of it's ability to fight opportunistic disease. I would assume the same here.
5 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
RuckusTom 4/5/2020 10:10:21 PM (No. 369958)
Any underlying conditions before we jump on the Corona band wagon?
4 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
kono 4/5/2020 10:21:04 PM (No. 369965)
#12, wasn't that shoe "specially molded" because he was born with no toes on his kicking foot? (and no fingers on the same-side hand)
3 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
DVC 4/6/2020 1:10:55 AM (No. 370036)
Talk about making lemonade when life hands you lemons. Turning his 'disability' into an advantage, very cool. Sounds like the end was near, regardless.
3 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
anonymous 4/6/2020 3:15:44 AM (No. 370069)
The thing that intrigues me is that Dempsey is classified as having passed away from COVID complications and yet he had some very serious conditions that may also have contributed. I wonder if this represents a tendency of the media to "overclassify" COVID casualties. Anyway, RIP, Tom.
2 people like this.
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May he rest is peace. Other stories indicate he had numerous underlying conditions.