Orlando McDaniel, who played football and ran track at LSU, has passed away. His friends state he died from coronavirus.
Former LSU basketball star Rudy Macklin put out a message about it on Twitter.
The 59-year-old reportedly fell ill after traveling to Washington, D.C. to visit a family member, according to LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver.
During his time at LSU — McDaniel caught 64 passes for 1,184 yards with three touchdowns in four seasons from 1978-81.
McDaniel also won an SEC championship in the 110-meter hurdles and finished second in that event at the 1980 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“He was such a tremendous athlete in both sports, but the love he had for track and field was really special,” Shaver said to ESPN. “We’re fortunate that people like him get involved with our youth.
“He was one of the most important people in our sport. He had to persuade youth to spend their summers doing something productive. Orlando had essentially dedicated his life to it. They’d come to summer meets and have two busloads full of people. It was a real impressive group of people. He’s sorely going to be missed.”
