Former Detroit Lions quarterback and assistant coach Greg Landry has died at the age of 77, the team announced in a post shared on its social media accounts Friday (October 4).
“We join the NFL community in mourning the loss of former Lions quarterback and coach Greg Landry,” the Lions wrote.
Landry’s cause of death was not revealed as of Saturday (October 5). The former UMass standout was selected by the Lions at No. 11 overall in the 1968 NFL Draft and spent his first 11 seasons with the franchise, as well as three with the then-Baltimore Colts, two in the USFL with the Chicago Blitz and Arizona Wranglers and one final NFL season with the Chicago Bears, making one start as an emergency quarterback, in 1984 before retiring as a player.
Landry is regarded as one of the best running quarterbacks in NFL history, recording 2,655 yards and 21 touchdowns on 430 rushing attempts, as well as throwing for 16,052 yards, 98 touchdowns and 103 interceptions on 1,276 of 2,300 passing. The New Hampshire native was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 1971 and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1976.
Landry began his coaching career as a quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns in 1985 before joining the Bears staff as a quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends coach in 1986 and later being promoted to offensive coordinator in 1988. He later worked as the offensive coordinator at the University of Illinois from 1993 to 1994 and the Lions’ quarterback coach from 1995 to 1996.
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