“Former Pro Bowl TE Russ Francis dies in plane crash”

[BobPSU92]

Former Pro Bowl TE Francis dies in plane crash

Former Pro Bowl tight end Russ Francis was killed in a plane crash in Lake Placid, New York.

www.espn.com

 

[psuro]

Sad. I remember him with the Patriots. He was Gronk before Gronk.

Curious to read the NTSB report on this.

 

[s1uggo72]

IIRC he was pretty good shot putter at Oregon as well.

 

[19333lion]

Sad. I remember him with the Patriots. He was Gronk before Gronk.

Curious to read the NTSB report on this.

 

[19333lion]

45 years later, he would have been a much larger part of an NFL offense and maybe had a Hall of Fame career. He was a tough dude with a lot of skills. I agree with PSURO.

 

[Catch1lion]

IIRC he was pretty good shot putter at Oregon as well.

Francis began high school at Kailua High School on Oahu, Hawaii, and finished at Pleasant Hill High School in Oregon, southeast of Eugene.[2] He set the national high school record for the javelin as a senior in 1971 at 259 ft 9 in (79.17 m); the record stood until 1988.[3] Francis was also a decathlete for Pleasant Hill.

At the University of Oregon in Eugene, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Francis threw the javelin and played only 14 games of varsity football for the Ducks. Injured after three games as a sophomore in 1972, he played in 1973,[4] but sat out his senior season in 1974.[5]

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

Francis began high school at Kailua High School on Oahu, Hawaii, and finished at Pleasant Hill High School in Oregon, southeast of Eugene.[2] He set the national high school record for the javelin as a senior in 1971 at 259 ft 9 in (79.17 m); the record stood until 1988.[3] Francis was also a decathlete for Pleasant Hill.

At the University of Oregon in Eugene, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Francis threw the javelin and played only 14 games of varsity football for the Ducks. Injured after three games as a sophomore in 1972, he played in 1973,[4] but sat out his senior season in 1974.[5]

Oddly well versed. Rip.

 

[Mister Magoo]

One of my favorite Pats of all time. Great player. Great dude. RIP “All World”

 

[Blair10]

Russ Francis was a superb TE. He had great hands, was a very good blocker and was extremely tough to bring down. One of the most physical football players I have ever seen.

 

[massimoManca II]

was in Lake Placid over Labor Day, our air-B&B was only a mile from the airport/ski jumps where that bird went down

Russ Francis apparently has been flying since his playing days... the guy in the right seat was a former commander with the US AF Thunderbirds

 

[s1uggo72]

Francis began high school at Kailua High School on Oahu, Hawaii, and finished at Pleasant Hill High School in Oregon, southeast of Eugene.[2] He set the national high school record for the javelin as a senior in 1971 at 259 ft 9 in (79.17 m); the record stood until 1988.[3] Francis was also a decathlete for Pleasant Hill.

At the University of Oregon in Eugene, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Francis threw the javelin and played only 14 games of varsity football for the Ducks. Injured after three games as a sophomore in 1972, he played in 1973,[4] but sat out his senior season in 1974.[5]

Thks I knew he was a thrower. He was in the background of one of the Pre movies Without Limits

 

[Midnighter]

 

[CyphaPSU]

That's very sad. That setting of that little airport is in a very beautiful part of the country (I stopped by the airport to photograph the scenery about a year ago). The runway is actually right next to several youth soccer and baseball fields, but it looks like the plane came down in a wooded area before they could get back to the runway.