Lions Player Dies on the Field

**Detroit Stylin** · September-14-19, 08:32 PM

This is a whole new story that I've never heard of.

https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2011/10/24/40-years-ago-lions-receiver-chuck-hughes-died-on-tiger-stadium-gridiron/

**Uncledave54** · September-14-19, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

This is a whole new story that I've never heard of.

https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2011/10/24/40-years-ago-lions-receiver-chuck-hughes-died-on-tiger-stadium-gridiron/

Dick Butkus stood above him frantically calling for time. He later said it bothered him forever.

**Shelby_** · September-14-19, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

This is a whole new story that I've never heard of.

https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2011/10/24/40-years-ago-lions-receiver-chuck-hughes-died-on-tiger-stadium-gridiron/

Here's another article about the death of Chuck Hughes. It's obvious from the photo he in the very least lost consciousness before hitting the ground, and quite possibly died mid step. The article also details his medical history and how the fatal heart attack was at least his second.

https://thegruelingtruth.com/footbal...n-an-nfl-game/

The Lions have had some crazy bad luck. In 1991 Mike Utley was paralyzed [[I was at that game), and then just a year later Eric Andolsek was killed in a freak accident.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · September-15-19, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Shelby_

Here's another article about the death of Chuck Hughes. It's obvious from the photo he in the very least lost consciousness before hitting the ground, and quite possibly died mid step. The article also details his medical history and how the fatal heart attack was at least his second.

https://thegruelingtruth.com/footbal...n-an-nfl-game/

The Lions have had some crazy bad luck. In 1991 Mike Utley was paralyzed [[I was at that game), and then just a year later Eric Andolsek was killed in a freak accident.

Andolsek was killed, just cutting his grass in his front yard, when someone loss control of the vehicle they were driving, left the road, and hit him down in Louisiana. Crazy....

**Shelby_** · September-15-19, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Andolsek was killed, just cutting his grass in his front yard, when someone loss control of the vehicle they were driving, left the road, and hit him down in Louisiana. Crazy....

It was a 10 wheel flat bed truck. Yikes!

https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...9,997733&hl=en

**EastsideAl** · September-17-19, 02:00 PM

I was there that day in Tiger Stadium as a 12 year old, and it is something I will never forget. I think it was pretty clear to everyone there that he was dead by the time they carried him off the field.

**Shelby_** · September-17-19, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I was there that day in Tiger Stadium as a 12 year old, and it is something I will never forget. I think it was pretty clear to everyone there that he was dead by the time they carried him off the field.

Al, what happened to the guy who was writing a book about Chuck Hughes? I think his user name was badguy. I remember reading a query from him in this forum, asking for people who were at that game for their recollections.

**401don** · September-17-19, 03:23 PM

Then you have the Tigers and the 2 players named Aurelio. Aurelio Rodriguez, former 3rd baseman and fan favorite in the '70's, returned to Detroit in his early 50's for an autograph signing. He was having lunch in Mexicantown at 2:00 in the afternoon when a car jumped the sidewalk and killed him.
Aurelio Lopez, senior smoke, reliever on the 84 championship team, became a local mayor in his hometown in Mexico after retiring. He was also killed in a car accident in his '40's.

**EastsideAl** · September-17-19, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Shelby_

Al, what happened to the guy who was writing a book about Chuck Hughes? I think his user name was badguy. I remember reading a query from him in this forum, asking for people who were at that game for their recollections.

I have no idea what happened with him. I sent him an email with the details I could recall from that day [[I was only 12, after all), and never heard another word about it.

**EastsideAl** · September-17-19, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Then you have the Tigers and the 2 players named Aurelio. Aurelio Rodriguez, former 3rd baseman and fan favorite in the '70's, returned to Detroit in his early 50's for an autograph signing. He was having lunch in Mexicantown at 2:00 in the afternoon when a car jumped the sidewalk and killed him.
Aurelio Lopez, senior smoke, reliever on the 84 championship team, became a local mayor in his hometown in Mexico after retiring. He was also killed in a car accident in his '40's.

Aurelio Rodriguez was one of my favorite Tigers on the '72 division championship team. I still have a bat day bat from that year with his signature on it. His death was one of the saddest unlucky accidents I can ever remember. Both he and Aurelio Lopez were heroes in Mexico. A. Rodriguez played several years in the Mexican League after his U.S. career ended, and won a Mexican League championship as a manager. A. Lopez was, as you said, elected mayor of his hometown, Tecamachalco. Following his tragic death a monument was built to him on the main street and the town's new baseball stadium was named for him. Both Aurelios are in Mexico's baseball Hall of Fame.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · September-17-19, 07:34 PM

^^ I concur, great post.

**9606 Prest** · September-23-19, 06:09 PM

I was in my 20s when I attended that game at Tiger Stadium in Oct. 1971 when Chuck Hughes passed away. It was quite a shock.
Does anyone remember attending games at Tiger Stadium in November or December when the temperature was freezing and fans had fires going in the bleachers?

**Kathleen** · September-29-19, 02:23 PM

Yes, the poster's name was TheBadGuy. As one of several forumers who were at that 1971 game, I was in touch with him for several years, answering questions and doing some library research. It's been quite a while since I last heard anything on the project. But here are some of the DYes posts on the subject:

A follow-up to his original post:
https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...ctober-24-1971

In 2015, he posted this update:
https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...ghes-revisited

Again in 2017:
https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...-Detroit-Lions

**Kathleen** · September-29-19, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by 9606 Prest

Does anyone remember attending games at Tiger Stadium in November or December when the temperature was freezing and fans had fires going in the bleachers?

Our family had season tickets [[3 seats in Section 37, lower deck) from 1958 until the Lions left for the Silverdome. I definitely remember the games when it was freezing. We always brought a couple of large metal thermos bottles filled with hot chocolate, and drank from the graduated red plastic cups that were used as the thermos caps. Of course, we brought lots of blankets to wrap ourselves in. I don't recall any fires in the bleachers. The good old days!!

**pjbear05** · September-30-19, 02:20 PM

The only antics in the winter were when Harry Gilmer was coach. Wore a white 10 gallon cowboy hat, making him an excellent target for snowballs thrown by irate Lions fans.

**mikefmich** · October-03-19, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by pjbear05

The only antics in the winter were when Harry Gilmer was coach. Wore a white 10 gallon cowboy hat, making him an excellent target for snowballs thrown by irate Lions fans.

I was at that last game of his, and was amongst the folks hurling snowballs singing Goodbye Harry.

**Mikeg** · October-18-19, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by 9606 Prest

I was in my 20s when I attended that game at Tiger Stadium in Oct. 1971 when Chuck Hughes passed away. It was quite a shock.
Does anyone remember attending games at Tiger Stadium in November or December when the temperature was freezing and fans had fires going in the bleachers?

I remember listening to that game on 10/24/1971 while digging up a clogged septic tank in my future father-in-law's back yard. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

It was probably 10 years earlier that I attended my first Lions game. I was about 10 years old and my dad took me with him on a Knights of Columbus chartered bus. They brought numerous beer-filled coolers with them which didn't need much ice because the temperature that day was in the teens. I was amazed to see the fans starting fires in the bleacher section to keep warm. I was even more amazed at the behavior of those Knights as they emptied the coolers on the way home after the game!