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Sports figures who died in 2001

In our mind's eye, we still see them behind the wheel heading for a checkered flag, on a sideline masterminding another victory, on the field swinging for the fences, hitting the jumper, breaking through the line, chipping to the green ... or we still can hear voices and sounds coming out of speakers so brilliantly that we saw what they were seeing and believe we were actually there.

Dale Earnhardt died this year. So did John McKay and Charley Pell, Willie Stargell and Bo Belinsky.

As the new year approaches, with dreams yet to be fulfilled, it is worth one look back at who we lost in a year almost gone -- and the memories they gave us:

JAN. 1: Bobbi Olson, 65, wife of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson and a second mother to generations of his players, of ovarian cancer.

JAN. 3: Marty Glickman, 83, track star pulled from the 1936 Berlin Olympics because he was Jewish, and a long-time broadcaster, of complications from bypass surgery.

JAN. 22: Tommy Agee, 58, centerfielder who made two of the greatest catches in World Series history for the 1969 "Miracle Mets," of a heart attack.

JAN. 26: Al McGuire, 72, who coached Marquette to 11 NCAA postseason tournaments, including the 1977 championship, then turned his quick wit and colorful verbiage into a career in broadcasting.

FEB. 18: Dale Earnhardt, 49, seven-time Winston Cup champion and American racing legend, of a basilar skull fracture when he crashed head-on into the wall in the final lap of the Daytona 500; Eddie Mathews, 69, Hall of Fame third baseman and the only player with the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta, of complications from pneumonia.

FEB. 26: Devaughn Darling, 18, projected as a starting linebacker for Florida State and twin brother of former FSU receiver Devard Darling, after an offseason workout.

APRIL 9: Willie Stargell, 61, Hall of Fame outfielder who led the Pirates to 1971 and 1979 World Series championships with home runs and dignified calm, of kidney failure.

APRIL 13: James Priest, 16, promising quarterback for Ridgewood High in New Port Richey, from injuries in a car crash.

APRIL 15: Jack Elway, 69, father of former Broncos quarterback John Elway and college coach in the 1970s and '80s, of an apparent heart attack.

MAY 1: Harold "Happy" Hairston, 58, forward on the 1971-72 Lakers, one of the NBA's greatest teams, of complications from inoperable prostate cancer.

MAY 27: Victor Kiam II, 74, former Patriots owner and entrepreneur known for commercials in which he said he liked Remington shavers so much "I bought the company," of a heart condition.

MAY 29: Charley Pell, 60, football coach at Clemson (1977-78) and Florida (1979-84), whose programs at both schools later were hit by NCAA sanctions for a variety of violations on his watch.

JUNE 2: Gene Woodling, 78, outfielder on the Yankees' 1949-53 World Series champions, of congestive heart failure; Joey Maxim, 79, former light heavyweight champion and the only boxer to outlast Sugar Ray Robinson.

JUNE 10: John McKay, 77, who coached Southern California to 127-40-8 record, four national championships and three undefeated seasons from 1960-75, then coached the Bucs their first nine seasons, of kidney failure due to complications from diabetes.

JUNE 16: Sam Jethroe, 83, first black player on the Braves and, at 32, oldest rookie of the year when he made his major-league debut in 1950.

JUNE 22: Patrick Payton, 19, who would have been a South Florida redshirt freshman defensive back, of injuries from a motorcycle accident in Miami.

JUNE 29: Veronica Smith, 40, mother of Bucs rookie cornerback Dwight Smith, of complications from brain surgery.

JULY 5: Ely Callaway, 82, whose "Big Bertha" drivers paved the way for oversized clubs that turned Callaway Golf into the world's biggest clubmaker, of cancer.

JULY 25: Eraste Autin, 18, Florida fullback, of complications related to heatstroke, six days after collapsing following a voluntary workout for incoming freshmen.

JULY 26: Niamah Abdullah, mother of Bucs running back Rabih Abdullah, of cancer.

AUG. 1: Korey Stringer, 27, Vikings All-Pro offensive tackle, of multiple organ failure due to heatstroke at training camp; Deacon Dan Towler, 73, Los Angeles Rams running back in the early 1950s who abruptly ended his career to become a Methodist minister.

AUG. 3: Rashidi Wheeler, 22, Northwestern safety, following an asthma attack during a workout.

AUG. 10: Lou Boudreau, 84, Hall of Fame shortstop who as player-manager led the Indians to the 1948 World Series championship, of heart failure.

AUG. 14: Earl Anthony, 63, winner of 41 PBA titles and the first bowler to eclipse the $1-million mark in earnings, after a fall down some stairs.

AUG. 20: Neal Colzie, 48, Raiders' first-round draft choice and ex-Buc (1980-83), of a heart attack.

AUG. 31: Lawrence "Crash" Davis, 82, the minor-leaguer made famous by the movie Bull Durham, of cancer.

SEPT. 5: Cawood Ledford, 75, radio voice of Kentucky basketball for nearly four decades, of cancer; Heywood Hale "Woody" Broun, 83, longtime television commentator and sports correspondent and a character actor in 14 Broadway plays and several movies.

SEPT. 14: Paul "Tank" Younger, 73, first athlete from a predominantly black college, Grambling State, to play in the NFL, as a Rams running back from 1949-57.

SEPT. 26: Ozzie Simmons, 87, Iowa halfback and, in 1935, one of the first black All-Americans, of complications from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

OCT. 4: Blaise Alexander, 25, ARCA driver who also competed in NASCAR's Busch Grand National series, in a wreck at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

OCT. 10: Eddie Futch, 90, trainer of 20 world champion boxers including heavyweights Larry Holmes, Joe Frazier, Riddick Bowe, Michael Spinks and Trevor Berbick.

OCT. 18: Ferris Fain, 80, first baseman and American League batting champion in 1951 and '52 and a five-time All-Star with the Athletics

OCT. 23: Ken Aston, 86, soccer referee who introduced red and yellow cards.

OCT. 28: Patricia Cameron McHale, mother of Devil Rays chief operating officer John McHale Jr.

OCT. 31: Art Wall Jr., 77, who came from five strokes back with seven holes remaining in the 1959 Masters to beat Cary Middlecoff and defending champion Arnold Palmer, of respiratory failure.

NOV. 1: Bob Woodruff, 85, former Florida athletic director and football coach whose teams went 54-42-6 in 10 seasons; Tom Cheney, 67, who with the 1962 Senators, set the record for strikeouts in a game with 21 when he pitched all 16 innings in a 2-1 win.

NOV. 12: Leon Gray, 49, offensive tackle who teamed with John Hannah to give the Patriots a formidable blocking duo in the 1970s.

NOV. 17: Billy Vessels, 70, Oklahoma halfback and 1952 Heisman Trophy winner.

NOV. 23: Bo Belinsky, 64, a pitcher whose 28-51 record for five teams from 1962-70 paled when measured against an off-field life that included dating Mamie Van Doren, Juliet Prowse, Tina Louise, Connie Stevens and Ann-Margret, of a heart attack.

DEC. 8: George Young, 71, architect of the New York Giants' 1986 and '90 Super Bowl champions and respected NFL executive for more than two decades.

DEC. 21: Dick Schaap, 67, author of more than 30 books and six-time Emmy winner for work on ESPN and ABC, of complications after hip replacement surgery.

DEC. 24: Harvey Martin, former Cowboys defensive end, four-time Pro Bowl player and 1977 NFL defensive player of the year, of pancreatic cancer.

-- Compiled by Bruce Lowitt with information from Times files.

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