Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame guard and Buffalo Payments legend Billy Shaw, who helped lead his crew to back-to-back championships within the AFL, died on Friday. He was 85.
Shaw, a legend at Georgia Tech, handed away surrounded by household at his house in Toccoa, Ga., the Corridor of Fame confirmed in a press release. In response to the household, hyponatremia was cited as his reason behind dying.
(L-R) #12 Daryle Lamonica, #30 Wray Carlton, #66 Billy Shaw, #78 Jim Harris, #77 Stew Barber, #86 Verlon Biggs throughout the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Payments recreation at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York, on December 19, 1965. (NBCU Photograph Financial institution/NBCUniversal by way of Getty Pictures by way of Getty Pictures)
“Billy Shaw holds the excellence of being the one member of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame to play his whole profession within the American Soccer League, however whereas that reality is worthy of noting and good to recite, it comes nowhere close to offering the rationale he was elected as a member of the Class of 1999,” Corridor of Fame President Jim Porter stated.
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“Billy’s all-around athleticism introduced a brand new dimension to the guard place and made the Sixties Buffalo Payments a formidable opponent able to bruising opponents with a punishing dashing assault,” Porter continued. “And whereas Billy could possibly be unforgiving to anybody in his method on the soccer discipline, he was the basic instance of the ‘Southern gents’ off the sector to everybody he encountered.”
Shaw was born in Natchez, Miss., the place he started his soccer profession at Carr Central Excessive Faculty. He would go on to play at Georgia Tech, the place he was an All-American, two-way participant.
Billy Shaw is launched earlier than the inaugural Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame Fan Fest on Friday, Might 2, 2014, on the Worldwide Exposition Middle in Cleveland. (AP Photograph/Mark Duncan, File)
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Shaw was drafted by two groups in 1961 – the Payments and the Dallas Cowboys – who performed within the then-rival Nationwide Soccer League. However realizing the Cowboys’ need to have him play protection, Shaw signed with the AFL, the place he would go on to develop into a Payments legend.
In his 9 seasons, Shaw was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time All-AFL choice, and helped the Payments to back-to-back AFL championships from 1964-1965. He retired the 12 months earlier than the merger in 1970.
Boston Patriots’ Houston Antwine (65) in motion vs Buffalo Payments guard Billy Shaw (66) in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Nov. 23, 1969. (Dick Raphael/Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Pictures)
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“I am devastated to be taught of Billy Shaw’s passing,” Georgia Tech soccer coach Brent Key stated in a press release on Friday.
“Billy was very particular to me personally, and really particular to the Georgia Tech soccer household. He was top-of-the-line linemen to ever play the sport of soccer, however a fair higher man. He represented every part it means to be a Tech Man. We’ll miss him terribly. On behalf of all the Georgia Tech soccer household, I ship our very deepest condolences to his spouse, Patsy, their daughters, Cindy, Cathy and Cheryl, his grandson and my very expensive pal, Jake Thornton, and all the Shaw household. Our ideas and prayers are with them tonight.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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