The word “hero” is thrown around a lot these days. Some people are deserving of the label, like firefighters, nurses, doctors, and so on. However, we sometimes use the term when discussing remarkable individual athletic performances. Even recently, Tyrese Haliburton was dubbed the “hero” of the Indiana Pacers’ 2025 playoff run because he hit four different game-tying/game-winning shots. But when we talk about heroes in the world of sports, we must always mention former Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney, who lost his life on June 29th, 1983, while attempting to save three children from drowning, even though he wasn’t a good swimmer.
Delaney made a name for himself while playing college football at Northwestern State University in Louisiana from 1977 to 1980. He was named an All-American twice while rushing for 3,047 yards and 31 touchdowns during his college career. As a result, his number was retired by the school in 1980, and he was later enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Delaney’s prolific college career caught the attention of the National Football League, which led to him being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He went on to have one of the best rookie seasons of all time, rushing for 1,121 yards while recording 22 receptions for 246 receiving yards. His on-field performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl and the 1981 UPI AFC Rookie of the Year award.
Unfortunately, Delaney was not able to replicate the same success he had in 1981 the next season. A strike by NFL players, coupled with an eye injury, limited Delaney to just eight games during the 1982 season. Even though he showed a lot of promise as a football player, he never played in another NFL game because of his heroic sacrifice.
On June 29th, 1983, Delaney drove a group of children to a Monroe, Louisiana park for a “Kids Day” event sponsored by a local television station, according to NCAA archives. While at the park, three children swam out into a water hole left behind by some recent construction. Soon after venturing out into the water hole, the three children began to cry for help. Even though he didn’t know how to swim well, Joe Delaney leapt into action to try to save the children anyway.
42 years ago today, Joe Delaney tragically passed away a hero, attempting to save three children from drowning. We’ll never forget his sacrifice ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UdYk3XVJUM
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 29, 2025
“I can’t swim good, but I’ve got to save those kids,” he told a child who asked him if he knew how to swim. “If I don’t come up, get somebody.”
He managed to help one of the children make it back to shore unscathed. Sadly, Delaney and the two other children drowned before they could be saved.
“When those little kids needed help, he gave up his life trying to save them. He wasn’t a swimmer. He didn’t have any business being around water, much less trying to save someone else who was drowning,” said former Chiefs teammate Tom Condon. “You just can’t put it in words. The man had a tremendous heart; he was special.”
Though Delaney lost his life, and he was only able to save one of the three children, his heroics and unselfishness continue to echo throughout the annals of history.
Just a few weeks after his passing, Delaney was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by U.S. President Ronald Regan, who said, “He made the ultimate sacrifice by placing the lives of three children above regard for his own safety. By the supreme example of courage and compassion, this brilliantly gifted young man left a spiritual legacy for his fellow Americans.”
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Joe Delaney, a hero who gave his life trying to save three children from drowning.
In his honor, the Joe Delaney Learn to Swim program was created to teach children how to swim and prevent drowning. pic.twitter.com/2DzjIhLiz9
— Trey Smith (@treysmith) June 30, 2023
Several prominent organizations came up with ways to honor Delaney’s life and legacy. In 1984, the NCAA posthumously awarded Delaney the NCAA Award of Valor. In 2004, the Chiefs unofficially retired his number 37 and inducted him into the team’s Ring of Honor. Even today, Northwestern State University gives out the Joe Delaney Memorial Leadership Award to permanent team captains each year.
“His humility, his unselfishness, his inspirational abilities were truly remarkable,” said former Northwestern State University president Randall J. Webb. “The heroic manner in which he left our world typifies the way he lived each day.”
On that tragic day in 1983, there was nothing that was going to stop Joe Delaney from trying to help those kids. This is further proven by the fact that his NCAA profile states, “Delaney had a lifelong history of helping others.”
To do what he did, knowing he was a poor swimmer, is the type of courage that makes the world a better place. Joe Delaney possessed the character and bravery that we could all benefit from in a day and age where there is so much vitriol, violence, and hate in the world.
Every year, when June 29th comes around, we should all take a moment to remember Joe Delaney and the ultimate sacrifice he made. More importantly, if we can each try to remember Delaney’s actions and encompass the bravery and selflessness that he embodied, then we can create a world that Joe Delaney would be proud of.
