Tragic history

The Kansas City Chiefs have endured tragedy since their inception:

Sept. 8, 1963: Stone Johnson, 23, an Olympic sprinter signed by Chiefs, suffered a broken neck while throwing a block on a kick return in an exhibition game on Aug. 30. He died nine days later.

Dec. 14, 1965: Mack Lee Hill, 25, an AFC All-Star as a running back, died from an embolism while undergoing surgery for a torn knee ligament.

Sept. 15, 1980: Jim Tyrer, 41, retired in 1974 after a storied career as a left tackle, killed his wife, Martha, and himself in a murder-suicide at the family home.

June 29, 1983: Joe Delaney, 24, AFC Rookie of Year in 1981, was home in Monroe, La., and drowned while trying to rescue three children struggling in a pond. He could not swim.

Feb. 8, 2000: Derrick Thomas, 33, Hall of Fame pass rusher, died while being treated for paralysis in Miami. Two weeks earlier he was driving to a K.C. airport at a fast speed in a snowstorm, crashed, was ejected from car and paralyzed.

Dec. 1, 2012: Javon Belcher, 25, a starting linebacker, shot and killed his 22-year-old girlfriend, Kassandra Perkins, then came to Arrowhead Stadium and killed himself by gunshot in the parking lot. Coach Romeo Crennel was there, trying to talk Belcher out of suicide.