Joe Delaney
| No. 37 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | October 30, 1958 Henderson, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | June 29, 1983 (age 24) Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 184 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Haughton (Haughton, Louisiana) | ||||||||
| College | Northwestern State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1981: 2nd round, 41st overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Joe Alton Delaney (/dɪˈleɪni/; October 30, 1958 – June 29, 1983) was an American professional football player who was a running back for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). In his two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Delaney set four franchise records that would stand for more than 20 years. His nephew is Terrace Marshall Jr.
He was a two-time All-American athlete for the Northwestern State Demons football team, as well as a track and field star. Delaney played two seasons with the Chiefs and was chosen as the AFC Rookie of the Year in 1981 by United Press International.
Delaney died on June 29, 1983, while attempting to rescue three children from drowning in a pond in Monroe in northeastern Louisiana. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal from U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan. While not officially retired, his jersey number while playing for the Chiefs, No. 37, has not been worn since his death.