Former AFLer, U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp Passes Away At The Age Of 73

Kemp Had Served As AFL Players Union Founder & President

Former Bills QB and U.S. Rep JACK KEMP passed away Saturday at the age of 73 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, after a lengthy illness, according to a front-page piece by Robert McCarthy of the BUFFALO NEWS. Kemp in '96 was the Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican party, and he also served as Secretary of Housing & Urban Development under President George H.W. Bush. Kemp during his football career served as AFL Players Union Founder & President, "hinting at a future career that made him one of the most labor-friendly Republicans in Congress" (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/3). In N.Y., Adam Clymer noted Kemp in January '65 "supported a boycott of an all-star game in New Orleans by the league's black players after they had been barred from nightclubs and cabs in the city." Kemp "helped get the game moved to Houston, where the black players participated" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/3). NBC's Kelly O’Donnell noted Kemp "often rallied campaign crowds with a pass, a throwback to his All-Star football career” ("Today," NBC 5/3). POLITICO's Martin & Siegel noted Kemp was "no fan" of soccer, as he once said on the floor of the U.S. House, "I think it is important for all those young out there -- who someday hope to play real football, where you throw it and kick it and run with it and put it in your hands -- (that) a distinction should be made that football is democratic capitalism, whereas soccer is a European socialist sport" (POLITICO.com, 5/2).

MAKING A MARK: ESPN.com's Gregg Easterbrook wrote of Kemp, "His were two singular achievements: First, to accomplish more after leaving athletics than he had before; second, to join that small fraternity of sports stars who have gone on to significant careers in serious pursuits." Kemp's accomplishments after his football career "rank with anyone in sports lore," as most star athletes "spend their second act signing autographs and waving to fans." The "real work of Kemp's life began when he put the football down" (ESPN.com, 5/3). SI.com's Peter King wrote Kemp was the "first great player in Bills history, a true patriot in Washington, and a good man who loved the NFL." Kemp was a "beacon for the men who played the game who sought to be all-around people, not just good football players," and "he'll be missed" (SI.com, 5/3). In DC, Dan Daly writes, "JOE NAMATH gave the AFL credibility by leading the Jets to a Super Bowl upset of the NFL's Colts, but Kemp was part of the construction crew that poured the foundation" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 5/4). Kemp played for the Chargers from '60-62, and served as an Editorial Assistant to San Diego Union Editor HERB KLEIN during that time. Chargers President & CEO DEAN SPANOS in a statement said: "Jack was a special, special person. He made a positive impact on everything he touched: on the country, on pro football and, most important to me, on my entire family" (CHARGERS.com, 5/3).