A gridiron Cowboy, Patriot and big cheese, a triathlete, Ali’s manager, Trail Blazer and Villanova hoopsters, a dedicated young Pittsburgh fan, a college coach, and a Big League pitcher.

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Former Cowboys lineman Cornish dies

DALLAS (AP) — Frank Cornish IV, an offensive lineman on two of the Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl champion teams in the 1990s, died over the weekend at age 40.

Cornish was pronounced dead Saturday morning at a Grapevine hospital, where he was taken from his home in nearby Southlake. His death was caused by heart disease, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office found.

Cornish played in the NFL for six years and was a backup with the Cowboys in the 1992 and 1993 seasons, when they won Super Bowls. He started five games for Dallas those years.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the San Diego Chargers in 1990 and also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.

“The Bruin family sends our deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the Cornish family,” UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, a Bruins assistant for most of Cornish’s college career, said in a statement. “Frank was a great guy in the locker room and a huge personality and a fun guy to be around.”

Cornish’s father, Frank Cornish III, was a defensive lineman in the NFL in the late ’60s and ’70s.

The younger Cornish is survived by his wife, Robin, and their five children.

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Man, 63, dies during Alcatraz triathlon

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 63-year-old triathlete died over the weekend while swimming the treacherous waters between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco.

Phillip Coulston was nearly to shore on the 1›-mile swim when his heart stopped Sunday. The dentist and longtime swimmer was a participant in the Escape from the Rock triathlon alongside his son-in-law, who tried to revive him.

Coulston had been on track to break the record for his age group when his heart stopped.

His daughter says he had no history of heart problems and that he had died doing something he truly enjoyed.

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Ali ex-manager Jabir Muhammad dies at 79

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabir Herbert Muhammad, a longtime manager of boxer Muhammad Ali, has died following heart surgery. He was 79.

His son, Elijah Muhammad III, says he died Monday at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.

Muhammad managed Ali’s boxing career from 1966 to 1981 and managed his post-fighting career for another 10 years.

He was the son of the late Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. He served as the Nation of Islam’s chief business manager and established the Nation’s weekly newspaper.

A Muslim prayer service will be held Wednesday with a memorial service on Saturday.

He’s survived by his wife, Amenah Antonia Muhammad, and 14 children.

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Former Portland Trail Blazers Center Kevin Duckworth Dies at 44

By Gene Laverty

Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) — Kevin Duckworth, a two-time National Basketball Association All-Star who played most of his career for the Portland Trail Blazers, died yesterday in Kernville, Oregon. He was 44.

Duckworth was in the town on the Oregon coast to host a free basketball clinic for children, the Trail Blazers said in a statement. The cause of death is unknown and will be determined by the Lincoln County Medical Examiner, the team said.

Duckworth was born April 11, 1964, in Harvey, Illinois. He played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University and was a second-round draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs in 1986. Duckworth was traded later that year to Portland, where he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 1987-88 season. He played in the NBA All-Star game in 1989 and 1991.

The seven-foot Duckworth was the starting center for the Trail Blazers when they won the Western Conference titles in 1990 and 1992. He also played for the Washington Bullets and Milwaukee Bucks before ending his career in 1997 with the Los Angeles Clippers.

He remains the Trail Blazers’ 10th-leading scorer with 7,188 points and rebounder with 3,327. He compiled averages of 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 527 games with Portland, the team said.

Duckworth lived in Tigard, Oregon, with his fiancee and two children. He remained in the Portland area after his playing career ended, and was an avid fisherman, outdoorsman and a skilled carpenter, the statement said. He was on the Oregon coast as a Heritage Ambassador on the team’s 19-city Statewide Summer Tour. Funeral arrangements will be announced later, Trail Blazers spokesman Bill Evans said.

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Larry Hennessy, Villanova hoops great, dies at 79

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Larry Hennessy, an All-American at Villanova who played in the NBA, has died. He was 79.

Hennessy died Wednesday in Williamsburg, Va., according to a statement from the school.

Hennessy scored 1,737 points from 1950-53 at Villanova, which retired his No. 14 jersey. He averaged 23.2 points for the Wildcats, ranking 11th in school history.

He played two seasons in the NBA and was part of the Philadelphia Warriors 1955-56 championship team. Hennessy later coached basketball at the high school and community college level.

“All of us in the Villanova basketball family were saddened to learn of coach Hennessy’s passing,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “He was one of the great Wildcat All-Americans and helped build the basketball tradition that is so much a part of our program.”

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, followed by a funeral on Thursday.

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NFLPA head Gene Upshaw dies of cancer at age 63

By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63.

Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only last Sunday, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.

“Few people in the history of the National Football League have played the game as well as Gene and then had another career in football with so much positive impact on the structure and competitiveness of the entire league as Gene,” former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.

Current commissioner Roger Goodell offered similar praise.

“Gene Upshaw did everything with great dignity, pride, and conviction,” Goodell said. “He was the rare individual who earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame both for his accomplishments on the field and for his leadership of the players off the field. He fought hard for the players and always kept his focus on what was best for the game. His leadership played a crucial role in taking the NFL and its players to new heights.”

News of Upshaw’s death first came through a Clear Channel Online report that appeared on several radio Web sites.

Upshaw died only two days after the union announced he would hold a briefing on labor negotiations before the Sept. 4 season opener between Washington and the New York Giants. The NFLPA’s executive committee appointed longtime general counsel Richard Berthelsen as the union’s acting executive director Thursday afternoon.

Upshaw’s outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances.

Upshaw’s biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987.

In 1983, he became executive director of the players’ association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, while the union was pressing in court for a settlement, the league implemented a limited form of freedom, called Plan B. In 1993, when a new contract was finally hammered out, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.

Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and Tagliabue.

Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in talks with Tagliabue, a close friend. He also was blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.

He never took criticism lightly and often said what he thought — without weighing the consequences from a public relations standpoint. Once, when he came under fire for the problems of retired players from Joe DeLamielleure, also a Hall of Fame guard, Upshaw retorted: “I’d like to break his neck.”

DeLamielleure was one of the first to respond to Upshaw’s death.

“The reality of life for all the guys who played in the NFL, including Gene, is that we have a short life span. It’s just the way it is,” he said. “I have sympathy for his family. I have sympathy for his wife and children. I didn’t know Gene personally. I just knew him professionally.”

Upshaw’s friends also recognized the strike-back part of his nature.

“In both careers, if you hit him in the head, he could hit you back twice as hard, but he didn’t always do so,” Tagliabue said. “He was very tough but also a good listener. He never lost sight of the interests of the game and the big picture.”

Doug Allen, former NFLPA assistant executive director under Upshaw and currently executive director of the Screen Actors Guild, called Upshaw an effective champion for players. “I can’t imagine a world without Gene’s larger than life presence,” he said.

Despite the criticism that came Upshaw’s way, players prospered under his leadership.

The salary cap for this season is $116 million and the players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 teams’ total revenues, as specified in the 2006 agreement. In all, the players will be paid $4.5 billion this year, according to owners.

Upshaw recently became more aggressive in his dealings with the owners and Goodell. Owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement, which means a season without a salary cap in 2010. Upshaw declared the cap would disappear for good should there be no new deal by March 2010.

“I’m not going to sell the players on a cap again,” Upshaw said. “Once we go through the cap, why should we agree to it again?”

That was one of the reasons the owners wanted out, claiming players are getting a disproportionate amount of the revenue. Upshaw’s supporters said management’s viewpoint indicates he did his job well.

The most influential owners respected him.

“Gene and I developed a close friendship that remained strong through the good times and some of the NFL’s most difficult challenges,” said Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. “We worked very closely on key issues that allowed the NFL to maintain unprecedented labor peace. His biggest asset was his understanding of the business of the game, and you always knew that his concern for the game’s best interests guided his actions.”

The labor peace that came with the breakthrough, seven-year contract in 1993 certainly helped players. It included free agency and a salary cap, and almost ever since player salaries have spiraled up along with revenue from television and marketing deals made by the league.

The NFLPA also has its own marketing arm, Players Inc., established in 1994, that has grown into a multimillion dollar operation.

Frequently listed as one of the most powerful men in U.S. sports, Upshaw was drafted in the first round by Oakland in 1967 out of Texas A&I — hardly a football factory. He was an NAIA All-American at center, tackle and end, but was switched to left guard by the Raiders.

And that’s where he stayed through a magnificent career that included 10 conference championship games as well as the Super Bowl victories.

His playing career was summed up Thursday by his close friend Art Shell, who played next to him on Oakland’s offensive line, and in 1989 became the first black coach of the modern era when he took over the Raiders.

“Gene was a true pioneer as one of the few African-American leaders of a major union,” Shell said. “He was the equal of owners in negotiations and made the league a better place for all players. Playing alongside of Gene was an honor and a privilege. He was a pillar of strength and leadership for our great Raider teams.”

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Inspirational Pittsburgh-area teen dies of cancer

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — John Challis, who inspired professional players with his battle against cancer, died at his parents’ suburban Pittsburgh home on Aug. 19. He was 18.

Challis made national headlines when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates game against the New York Yankees in June, leaving his home team a motivational message on their message board.

“Have fun,” he wrote to the Pirates. “It’s the reason we play ball.”

The 5-foot-5, 93-pound teenager was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 16. He spoke candidly about his initial fear of death and then his determination to achieve his goals before succumbing to the cancer that had spread to his liver, lungs and other parts of his body.

Most of those goals were achieved. He played with the Freedom Area High School football team, where he was a starter as a sophomore before becoming ill.

He met Pittsburgh Penguins’ owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger. When Challis was in New York last month, Alex Rodriguez showed him his apartment and drove him to Yankee Stadium.

“He was a very brave boy,” Rodriguez said before the Yankees played at Toronto on last Tuesday night. “Very smart. He had a huge heart. I was just proud that I got to spend a whole day with him and I’m touched by the fact that he came to my apartment and spent quality time. It’s something that I’ll be inspired by for the rest of my life.”

In April, Challis fulfilled a dream to play on his high school’s baseball team, coming in as a pinch-hitter and drawing cheers — even from the opposition — when he hit a single into right field.

In June, after graduating from Freedom Area High School, Challis got to take a last cruise with his family. He also set up a foundation to help high school students fighting terminal illnesses.

His only regret, he told reporters in the months before his death, was that he would not be able to get married and become a father.

“I’m a little surprised that people don’t understand how easy I think it is for a young person, especially myself, to see this major situation as a positive — I mean I don’t see it as a positive, but I’m not complaining about it,” Challis was quoted as saying in an Associated Press story in June.

“I don’t know why people think it’s so hard,” he added.

Within hours of Challis’ death, dozens of people from across the country shared their thoughts and condolences on an Internet guest board.

“My thoughts and prayers to the Challis family. Your son was a true inspiration, blessing and gift. God bless,” wrote Pat King of Roanoke, Va.

Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly released a statement calling the teenager “an inspiration to each of us.”

“John had every reason to complain about his situation, but he chose not to,” Coonelly said. “What he did do was show unfathomable courage and great wisdom for someone so young. John’s body could not win the battle with cancer, but John’s tremendous spirit will live on amongst all those he and his story impacted across the country.”

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Olympic boxer’s father dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former boxer who realized his dream of seeing his son compete in the Olympics has died of heart and kidney problems.

Juan Estrada, a 64-year-old garment cutter from suburban Maywood, survived long enough to watch his son, Shawn, beat Ezequiel Maderna of Argentina on Aug. 10 in a first-round bout at Beijing.

The younger Estrada, a 23-year-old middleweight, lost 11-5 to James Degale of Britain in a second-round bout Saturday to be eliminated from medal contention. His father was unable to watch, and died early Aug. 16 at St. Vincent Medical Center with his wife, three daughters, two sisters and a brother at his bedside.

The elder Estrada had hoped to travel with his son to Beijing, but his failing health made that impossible. He was told by doctors several months ago he had very little time left, but said he was fighting to stay alive so he could see his son box in the Olympics.

Estrada was hospitalized Thursday with worsening heart and kidney problems, but held out hope of seeing his son’s second-round fight on TV. His wife, Sandy, held his hand while their son was in the ring.

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Former Iowa State coach Anderson dead at 79

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa State basketball coach Glen Anderson, the third-winningest coach in school history, has died. He was 79.

Iowa State officials said Anderson died Friday at his home in Hot Springs, Ark.

Anderson coached the Cyclones from 1959 to 1971, finishing 142-161 in those 12 seasons. He led the Cyclones to six upper-division finishes in the Big 8.

Anderson also recruited Zaid Abdul-Aziz, one of the top players in school history. Abdul-Aziz was the fifth pick in the 1968 NBA draft and had his number retired by the school.

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Former Patriots owner Orthwein dies

ST. LOUIS (AP) — James Busch Orthwein, the former New England Patriots owner who played a role in the Rams move to St. Louis, has died. He was 84.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Orthwein died Aug. 15 at his home in Huntleigh after a long battle with cancer.

Orthwein bought the Patriots in 1992 and sold them to Robert Kraft two years later.

“I didn’t know James Orthwein well, but I did share one of my life’s most memorable moments with him and my family back on January 21, 1994. That was the day that I purchased the New England Patriots from Mr. Orthwein,” Kraft said.

“I have a great black-and-white photo of the two of us sitting at a table that day with my entire family standing behind us. It is a day that I will never forget and a memory that I will always cherish. On behalf of my family, I would like to extend sympathies to the Orthwein family.”

Orthwein played an important role in the Rams’ move from Los Angeles to St. Louis by donating his 65-percent ownership share of the stadium rights to FANS Inc., the nonprofit group that persuaded the team to move.

“Jim was a private man who thrived as a fisherman, outdoorsman and painter,” family friend Walter Metcalfe said. “Yet he understood business and he had an enormous talent to see what was important and then connect his product, be it candy or cola or beer or the then-broken and ridiculed Patriot franchise, to the public.”

Orthwein’s mother, Clara Busch, was the granddaughter of Adolphus Busch, one of the founders of Anheuser-Busch. Orthwein was a longtime member of the brewery’s board.

Survivors include wife Loris, daughters Katherine Snowden and Romaine Orthwein and sons Percy and James Orthwein.

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Former Phils pitcher Winston dies from leukemia

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — Darrin Winston, who pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Philies in the late 1990s, has died from leukemia. He was 42.

Winston was diagnosed with the disease this week and died Aug. 15 in Freehold Township.

Winston made his major league debut in 1997 and pitched 34 games for the Phillies in two seasons, going 4-2 with a 5.84 ERA. He played in the minor league systems of Montreal, Pittsburgh, the Mets and Angels, and later joined the independent Atlantic League.

At Rutgers, he set career records for wins and innings and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.

Winston steadily pursued his path to the majors, drifting through the minors, coming back from elbow surgery that sidelined him for an entire season and later playing semipro ball.

The lefty was nearly out of luck in June 1997, too, before he got a break.

The Phillies had decided to release him from Triple-A after a game, but when the scheduled starter got a blister while warming up, Winston filled in and pitched 6 1-3 solid innings. The organization’s director of player development happened to be in attendance that day, and told the team’s manager in mid-game that Winston wouldn’t be released.

When the minor league season ended, Winston went home to New Jersey and kept working out, hoping for a call. And when manager Terry Francona and the Phillies approached a stretch of doubleheaders in September, they summoned Winston.

Winston made his big league debut at age 31, pitching one inning and giving up four runs — including a homer by Brian McRae — at Shea Stadium against the Mets.

Winston left his debut with a 36.00 ERA, but was able to smile about it.

“Things like this happen, but I waited too long to get here,” he said then.