The Enduring Legacy Of Joe Delaney In Sports And Service

Northwest Louisiana is home to tons and tons of successful athletes. You can go down the list from Dak Prescott to Lee Smith to Todd Walker...I mean the list is nearly endless. Doesn't matter if you're talking baseball, football, or Olympic sports, our area is well represented.

But, as impressive as their accomplishments are on the field, a lot of the time what they do off the field is even more important and impressive. Most athletes from our area give back to the community - from youth camps to donations, all kinds of impressive stuff.

However, there's one local star that should forever be remembered for what they did off the field - Joe Delaney.

Joe Delaney - Haughton, Louisiana Football Legend

If you don't know Joe Delaney's story, you should. On the field and off of it, Joe was an absolute stud. Delaney was a superstar wide receiver at Haughton High School. He was scouted by sever schools including LSU, Texas, and Oklahoma. Ultimately, he went to Northwestern State and became a Demon. When he went to NSU, he switched to running back and became a college legend.

What he accomplished at Northwestern is the stuff of legend. In a game against Nicholls State on October 28th 1978, he ran for 299 yards & 4 touchdowns. In that game, he set a NCAA record for most yards in the 2nd half of a game - where he racked up 263 yards. Ultimately, he ran for 3,047 yards and scored 31 touchdowns in his NSU career. He was SO GOOD, that during his last game at NSU, they retired his #44 jersey at half time.

He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2nd round of the 1981 Draft. Once again, Joe proved that he was dominant on the football field. In his rookie season, he was selected to the Pro Bowl after setting Chiefs records for most yards in a season (1,121), most yards in a game (193 vs. Houston), most consecutive 100-yard-plus games (three) and most 100-yard games in a season (five). Not bad for a rookie.

His second year in the pros wasn't as successful as Joe was dealing with an eye injury and a strike shortened season.

Now, I say all that to say this: As great as Joe was on the field, according to all reports, he was even better off the field. There are reports of Joe doing great things for others - paying for funerals or whatever was needed to help out. Which leads us to his last act - attempting to save a group of children from drowning.

Joe Delaney's Lasting Legacy

I told you all about Joe's on-field accomplishments to set the stage for this. We're talking about a major NFL star. A guy that was on his way to becoming an NFL superstar. The way he performed on the field, he potentially could have become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. He had that kind of talent. But, when it came to helping others, Joe jumped right in regardless of the potential hazards.

On June 29th 1983, at Critter's Creek in Monroe, Louisiana, Joe Delaney lost his life trying to save 3 children from drowning. Joe couldn't swim. But that didn't stop him from diving in to try and save those kids. Unfortunately, 2 out of the 3 children and Joe lost their lives on that day.

His act of sacrifice that day has had a massive impact. Following his death, President Ronald Reagan awarded Delaney with the Presidential Citizens Medal. He received the NCAA Award of Valor in 1984. He received all sorts of awards and honors in his death.

However, maybe the most impactful thing to come out of his final act, is the 'Delaney 37 Foundation'.  According to their website, their mission is simple: "We strive to mentor, educate, promote leadership development, teach financial literacy, and promote water safety" to underprivilege youth.