Former New England Patriots football player dies in plane crash in Lake Placid
Russ Francis was a legend in Hawaii, the former Kailua High School star athlete went on to play in the NFL and win a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. Francis was tragically killed in an airplane crash this weekend; he was 70 years old.
Lake Placid News reported that the two people killed in an airplane crash at the Lake Placid Airport on Sunday were identified as Francis, a former NFL tight end who recently purchased the Lake Placid Airways scenic tour business at the airport, and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.
The crash happened around 4:09 p.m. (EST) at the end of a runway, according to the report.
Francis was the new owner of Lake Placid Airways. Francis was a first round pick out of Oregon for the New England Patriots. Francis spent 14 years in the NFL and played in three Pro Bowls. He also was selected to the All-NFL team in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1980.
A member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, Francis was a sportscaster in Hawaii and for ABC, CBS and ESPN after his NFL career.
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com