The NFL world suffered a tragic loss on Sunday, as former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers legend Russ Francis was killed in a plane crash.
According to reports, Francis and former U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds commander Richard McSpadden rolled hard after taking off from the Lake Placid Airport in New York, causing them to fatally crash. It is not known exactly which of the two men were flying the plane at the time.
Francis was 70-years-old at the time of his passing.
Francis was a first-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 1975 draft. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the team before joining the 49ers in 1982. He would go on to win a Super Bowl with San Fran during the 1984 season.
Francis would eventually return to the Patriots for the final two seasons of his career, before retiring after the 1988 campaign.
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Francis’ brother released a statement following the accident. “My older brother Russ Francis was just killed in an airplane crash in Lake Placid, New York,” he said on Facebook. “Flying was my brother’s lifelong passion, and perhaps a fitting way for him to go. God speed to you my big brother!!”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of both men killed in this tragic crash.
