Freddie Solomon - 59

[Bigsmc]

After his football career ended, Solomon worked for two decades in community relations with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Florida, where he mentored youth and taught vital life lessons through football fundamentals.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/75...-receiver-dies

[Bigsmc]

Over Super Bowl weekend, when DeBartolo was among those being discussed for the Hall of Fame, he stayed home to be with Solomon.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footb...od-man/1215317

[Bigsmc]

"On paper, Freddie and I couldn't have been more different," DeBartolo said. "We came from different circumstances, different backgrounds. We had vastly different personalities. Seemingly, once football was over, we didn't have much in common.
"But with each passing year, we became much closer, and by the time he left us last Monday, he'd become closer to me than anybody else in my life. People scratched their heads about our friendship. They just couldn't figure it out. But Freddie was simply the finest human being I'd ever encountered in my life."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footb...mmates/1216214