10. Joe Delaney
Joe Delaney was a record-setting running back for the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons (1981 & 1982).
In 1983, Delaney died while attempting to rescue three children from drowning in a pond in Louisiana. Delaney himself could not swim, and only one of the children survived.
President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal to Delaney. Although it wasn’t officially retired, his jersey number while playing for the Chiefs, #37, has not been worn since his death.
source: ESPN
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