In a week that will never be forgotten because of the Virginia Tech tragedy, sports seem to be a rather insignificant topic.

I want to start out by just taking a moment to touch on the terrible tragedy that took place in Blacksburg, Va. The shootings were a reminder that at any time life can come to an end. It could have been any one of us college students who suffered the fate that those in Blacksburg did. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims, their friends and their families.

I decided to honor all those who are taken well before their time this week by bringing back some memories of sports icons who passed away tragically during their playing careers. All we can do in a time like this is remember those who we’ve lost for the great people they were.

Lou Gehrig was an amazing baseball player and was voted the ‘best first baseman of all time’ by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He played for the New York Yankees and was probably best known for holding the record of most consecutive games played until Cal Ripken Jr. broke that record in 1995.

Lou Gehrig was forced to retire mid-season in 1939 after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which is commonly known today as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He died two years later on June 2, 1941.

Gehrig finished off his baseball career with one of the most memorable speeches ever. He delivered the speech on July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium and declared, “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” He was referring to his illustrious career as a Major League Baseball player and spent the rest of the speech giving thanks and praise to all his fans, family and friends.

Payne Stewart, an American golfer and winner of three majors, died tragically on October 25, 1999 in a plane crash. Payne was a fan favorite and known for his old-school golfing wardrobe that featured a combination of plus fours and knickerbockers.

Payne died just months after winning the U.S. Open in 1999. He was honored with several tributes including the unveiling of a statue near the 18th green at Pinehurst No. 2, where Stewart won his second U.S. Open title.

Pat Tillman was known as an emotional leader on defense for the Arizona Cardinals and was up for a new contract valued at $3.6 million when he decided to take some time away from the game to serve his country in combat.

Tillman enlisted with his brother in May 2002 and completed training to become a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He served for almost two full years before he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Pat Tillman died on April 22, 2004, while serving in the United States Army.

On September 19, 2004, the NFL had each team wear an honorary number 40 decal on their helmets in memory of him.

Roberto Clemente, a Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player, died tragically in a plane crash on December 31, 1972. Clemente was the first Hispanic-American to enter the Hall of Fame and the only player to have been waived of the required five-year post-retirement waiting period for induction.

Clemente, a Pittsburgh Pirate, was a superstar on the field, winning 12 gold gloves in right field and being tagged the ‘greatest right fielder of all time’ by many experts. But Clemente was just as well known for his life off the field as on.

Clemente is regarded as a hero in his home country of Puerto Rico, not only for paving the path for Hispanic players to play baseball, but also for his contributions to the community. Clemente’s plane crashed off the coast of Nicaragua while en route to provide aid to earthquake victims.

MLB still presents the Roberto Clemente Award each year to the player who best follows Clemente’s example with humanitarian work.

God bless all those at Virginia Tech. People may die, but to those who knew them, they are never forgotten.

Frank Vanderwall is a senior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].