Who Is Derek Stingley Jr.’s Grandfather, Darryl Stingley?

Darryl Floyd Stingley was an American wide receiver whose career was cut short at the age of 26 due to an on-field spinal cord injury. He died of heart illness and pneumonia worsened by quadriplegia after a five-year career with the New England Patriots of the National Football League.

Stingley grew up on Chicago’s West Side, the son of Hilda M. Stingley and Harold E. Stingley Sr. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1969 as a great running back and honour student.

Stingley earned a football scholarship to Purdue University[4] and was transformed into a wide receiver under head coach Bob DeMoss.

He was the third player picked by the Patriots in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft, behind offensive tackle John Hannah (4) of Alabama and fullback Sam Cunningham (11) of Southern California.

So far, Stingley has collected 110 receptions for 1,883 yards and 14 touchdowns in 60 regular-season games. He rushed 28 times for 244 yards and returned 19 punts for 136 yards in addition to his two touchdowns.

On three occasions, he had moreover 500 yards on the ground, receiving, and returning. Running, receiving, and returning punts and kickoffs, he amassed 2,450 yards of total offense.

New England Patriots 42, Baltimore Colts 3 — On October 6, 1974. It was his 26th birthday on September 18, 1977, when Stingley scored two touchdowns in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

On his birthday, he became one of just three Patriots players to score two touchdowns, making him the only wide receiver to do it.

After being discovered comatose in his home on April 5, 2007, Stingley died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Heart disease and pneumonia accompanied by quadriplegia were the causes of his death.

Stingley’s death was ruled an accident by Cook County Medical Examiner Kendall Von Crowns, MD.