He
was born without toes on his right foot, but spent 11 seasons in the
N.F.L. and kicked 159 field goals. He died of complications of the
coronavirus.
Credit...Associated Press
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.
Tom
Dempsey, who was born without toes on his right foot or fingers on his
right hand but played for 11 N.F.L. seasons as a place-kicker and was
remembered for his game-winning, 63-yard field goal for the New Orleans
Saints on Nov. 8, 1970, a league record at the time, died on Saturday at
an assisted living center in New Orleans. He was 73.
His wife,
Carlene, said the cause was complications of the coronavirus, which he
contracted on March 25 at the Lambeth House center, where he had been
treated for dementia that was diagnosed in 2010.
At 6 feet 2
inches and 255 pounds, Dempsey relished running downfield to deliver
hits to cover his kickoffs and had sustained several concussions, his
family told The New York Times in 2013.
The
Saints’ opponents on the day Dempsey set the record, the Detroit Lions,
were laughing on the sidelines at Tulane Stadium at the absurd notion
that he could connect as he prepared for what became his astonishing
kick. Seconds later the Lions had been defeated, 19-17.
“I was
more concerned about kicking it straight because I felt I could handle
the distance,” Dempsey told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans afterward.
He said he had received a perfect snap and hold and “I hit it sweet.”
Dempsey’s 63-yarder was later matched by three other kickers but wasn’t
exceeded until the Denver Broncos’ Matt Prater kicked a 64-yarder in
2013 in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains, setting a mark that still
stands.
Image
Credit...Lee Celano for The New York Times
Dempsey hit 22 field goals in 41 attempts as a rookie in 1969, when he was voted to the Pro Bowl, and succeeded on 18of 34 tries in 1970. But he was cut before the 1971 season after faring poorly in exhibition games.
He
went on to play with the Eagles, the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston
Oilers and the Buffalo Bills, though he never regained the form he
displayed with the Saints. He retired after the 1979 season with 159
field goals in 258 tries and 252 extra points on 282 attempts.
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Thomas John Dempsey was born on Jan. 12, 1947, in Milwaukee and grew up in Southern California.His
father, Huey, was a mechanic for a public utility company and joined
with his mother, LaVerne (Sorce) Dempsey, in owning a jewelry store in
Encinitas.
He was a defensive lineman and kicker in high school,
played briefly at Palomar College in San Diego County and was signed by
the Saints as an undrafted player.
After retiring from football,
he worked as an oil field salesman in Louisiana until the late 1980s and
ran a car dealership owned by the Saints’ owner, Tom Benson.
In
addition to his wife, Dempsey is survived by his daughters Ashley
Dempsey and Meghan Dempsey Crosby; his son, Toby; his sister Janice
MacArthur and three grandchildren.
Dempsey loved New Orleans nightlife.
He
and Carlene were dating at the time of the 63-yard kick. “He courted me
mainly at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street,” she told The Times
in 2013, recalling that she did not hear from him for days after his
stunning field goal.
“It was Thursday before he called me,” she
said, adding that Tom explained that some New Orleans police officers
had rewarded him with a couple of cases of cold Dixie beer in the locker
room after the game, and it became a long night of celebrating. Carlene
married him two months later.
Dempsey had a
custom shoe that featured a flattened and enlarged toe surface. The
shoe he was wearing for his epic kick is held by the Saints at their
Hall of Fame; another of his special shoes is at the Pro Football Hall
of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Dempsey’s 63-yard field goal came on a
straight-on stance at a time when soccer-style kicking was arriving. At
the time, Tex Schramm, then the president and general manager of the
Dallas Cowboys, complained that Dempsey’s misshapen foot with his
special shoe gave him an unfair advantage in making contact with the
ball.
The N.F.L. added a rule in 1977 stating that “any shoe that
is worn by a player with an artificial limb on his kicking leg must have
a kicking surface that conforms to that of a normal kicking shoe.”
In
response, Dempsey, as quoted on the Saints’ website, once said:
“Unfair, eh? How about you try kicking a 63-yard field goal to win it
with two seconds left and you’re wearing a square shoe. Oh yeah, and no
toes either.”
Updated April 4, 2020
Should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms.
Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary
people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part
of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care
workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in
continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social
distancing.
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have,
and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call
a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested,
how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially
infecting or exposing others.
It seems to spread very easily from person to person,
especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen
can be carried on tiny respiratory droplets that fall as they are
coughed or sneezed out. It may also be transmitted when we touch a
contaminated surface and then touch our face.
Unlike the flu, there is no known treatment or vaccine, and little is known about this particular virus so far.
It seems to be more lethal than the flu, but the numbers are still
uncertain. And it hits the elderly and those with underlying conditions —
not just those with respiratory diseases — particularly hard.
What if somebody in my family gets sick?
If the family member doesn’t need hospitalization and
can be cared for at home, you should help him or her with basic needs
and monitor the symptoms, while also keeping as much distance as
possible, according to guidelines issued by the C.D.C.
If there’s space, the sick family member should stay in a separate room
and use a separate bathroom. If masks are available, both the sick
person and the caregiver should wear them when the caregiver enters the
room. Make sure not to share any dishes or other household items and to
regularly clean surfaces like counters, doorknobs, toilets and tables.
Don’t forget to wash your hands frequently.
Should I stock up on groceries?
Plan two weeks of meals if possible. But people should not hoard food or supplies. Despite the empty shelves, the supply chain remains strong. And remember to wipe the handle of the grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash your hands as soon as you get home.
That’s not a good idea.
Even if you’re retired, having a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds
so that your money keeps up with inflation, or even grows, makes sense.
But retirees may want to think about having enough cash set aside for a
year’s worth of living expenses and big payments needed over the next
five years.
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