Larry Bethea
| No. 76 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end / Defensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Date of birth: | July 21, 1956 | ||||
| Place of birth: | Florence, South Carolina | ||||
| Date of death: | April 23, 1987 (aged 30) | ||||
| Place of death: | Hampton, Virginia | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Ferguson (VA) | ||||
| College: | Michigan State | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 28 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
| Games played: | 81 |
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| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Larry Bethea (July 21, 1956 – April 24, 1987) was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He later played for the Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders and Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League. He played college football at Michigan State University. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound within hours of being identified as a suspect in two armed robberies.
Bethea was a standout for Ferguson High School, playing both ways as an offensive end and defensive end. He was a Parade All-American and a Group AAA All-state selection in 1973. He also was a distinguished student that received football scholarship offers from Harvard and Yale.
He accepted a scholarship to play for Michigan State University, where he began as a tight end until being converted into a defensive tackle during his sophomore season.
His 1977 season was arguably the greatest ever by a Michigan State football player, when he totaled 45 solo tackles, 45 assisted tackles and 16 sacks, becoming such a dominant force that he was the first defensive player to receive Big Ten Conference MVP honors since Dick Butkus in 1964.
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