Former Philadelphia Eagles kicker Tom Dempsey passes at 73, per report

The Philadelphia Eagles family and their fans lost a family member on April 4th. Former kicker Tom Dempsey has passed at 73 years of age.

Losing someone always evokes different emotions in different people. For some, it’s a cause for celebration and remembrance. For others, there’s more sadness and regret, but one thing is common in most people. We all feel something, especially today as many Philadelphia Eagles fans woke up to the news that the franchise’s former kicker, Tom Dempsey, has passed on due to complications with coronavirus.

The news was first reported by Ramon Antonio Vargas of New Orleans’ The Times-Picayune. Dempsey was 73 years young.

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According to Vargas’ report, Dempsey contracted COVID-19 at the Lambeth House, which is a retirement home in New Orleans. He was also the last to pass of 15 former residents there who had contracted the virus in March.

Dempsey began his career with the New Orleans Saints but played in Philly from 1971 to 1974 before completing his NFL run with the Los Angeles Rams (1975 to 1976), the Houston Oilers in 1977 (you younger fans would know them as the Tennessee Titans, and the Buffalo Bills (1978 to 1979).

Dempsey made 66 of his 108 field-goal attempts for the “Birds” and went 84 for 90 on extra points. For “Birds” fans, it’s different. For the Eagles fan, our fathers and grandfathers were Eagles fans, so this team feels like it should be in our family photo album, so even though most of us have never met him, this still feels like losing a family member.

Let’s all hope we don’t have to report any more stories like this one during these tough times.

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