Former Super Bowl Champion Pete Lammons Dies at Age 77 in Fishing Boat Accident
May 1, 2021
Former New York Jets and Texas Longhorns star Pete Lammons died in a boating accident at the age of 77 on Thursday.
According to Major League Fishing, Lammons fell overboard while docked as he was preparing for a tournament at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas. His body was recovered, though efforts to revive him ultimately failed.
"We lost a great Longhorn with the passing of Pete Lammons," the University of Texas football team tweeted Friday. "Sending our condolences to his family, friends and Longhorn Nation."
A three-year letterman at UT, Lammons was a member of the 1963 national champion team at Texas before going on to help the Jets capture Super Bowl III in 1969.
The tight end finished his pro career with 185 catches, 2,364 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns from 1966-1972.
Speaking with ESPN in 2018 ahead of the Jets' 50th reunion of the Super Bowl-winning team, Lammons reflected both on the accomplishment of the 1968 season and what it meant to see his former teammates again.
"Fifty years, lord have mercy," Lammons said (h/t ESPN's Rich Cimini). "That's a long time. You just kind of realize this will probably be the last time we all get together. Quite a few of us have departed, so it won't be quite as much fun without them."
An avid fisherman who made his home in Houston, Lammons had competed in 57 MLF tournaments, earning a career-best third-place finish at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in 2019.