Former Tampa Bay Buc Stanley Shakespeare dies after getting blown off boat

JUPITER, Florida (AP) - Stanley Shakespeare, a former Tampa Bay Bucs replacement player and member of the 1983 national champion Miami Hurricanes, died when he was blown off his boat.


Shakespeare, 42, was hit by a strong gust of wind and went overboard Tuesday. His fishing companion didn't know how to operate the 5.1-meter (17-foot) boat and couldn't throw a life vest close enough when the boat drifted away, Palm Beach County sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said.



Pattie Hidy, who was on a nearby boat, said she and two companions were flagged down by Shakespeare's boat mate. Hidy said they searched the waters about three-quarters of a mile off Jupiter Inlet for 30 minutes before finding Shakespeare face down, sunglasses clenched in his hand.

The trio pulled Shakespeare onto their rental boat and followed a sheriff's boat to a Jupiter marina. Shakespeare was pronounced dead at Jupiter Medical Center.

Sea conditions reportedly went from calm in the morning to windy and rough in the afternoon, when the accident occurred.

Shakespeare was a starting wide receiver for the Miami team that upset Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in January 1984. He played briefly for the Bucs during the NFL's strike season of 1987. No details of survivors were immediately available


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:sad3:

never underestimate the power of the ocean...very sad indeed...never heard of him

Journeyman said:

never underestimate the power of the ocean...very sad indeed...never heard of him

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He played a lot for the Hurricanes in the early 80's. He was a Santana Moss type.

Stanley played opposite of Eddie Brown in 84 NC Gm


1984 Kickoff Classic vs AuburnStanley caught TD pass from Bernie Kosar


Stanley was a excellent player for my Hurricanes huge loss for the Canes Family

2 of my neighbours took out a new speed boat with a 200hp on it last Thusday and sadly enough only 1 of them made it back. A case of beer and a boat with that kind of power went up the St. Lawrence river and on their way back down the river the boat nosedived and both were ejected.. no lifejackets. Rescue was there within minutes as someone on shore saw the boat flip, but hypothermia got one of them and the other had less than 5 minutes to get re-wamed or he would have been casualty #2, talked to him yesterday and sounds like his lungs a full... bronchitis that may turn into pneumonia. Now a family of 4 have no father or husband ... :sad3: