Before retiring from the NFL, Barry Wilburn was a Super Bowl champion who’d intercepted two passes in the Redskins’ victory over the Denver Broncos. Though he may not be with us anymore, his record for the longest interception return for a 100-yard pick-six still stands strong. The tragic news of his demise was revealed earlier today on X by NFL historian Kevin Gallagher.

“Family and friends are mourning the loss of former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Barry Wilburn. Family confirms he was the victim of a house fire in Orange Mound early Friday morning,” the report revealed. “The Memphis Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire on Douglass Avenue in Orange Mound at around 2 am Friday morning. They found an unresponsive victim in the rear hallway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

In a tragic turn of events, the football world was dealt a blow after the former cornerback passed away in a house fire over the weekend at the age of 62. Wilburn was an eighth-round pick out of Ole Miss in 1985 and died in a house fire in Memphis, Tennessee. The fire happened in Orange Mound early Friday morning, as confirmed by Action News 5.

Wilburn was a graduate of Melrose High School before he joined Ole Miss to play football for the Rebels. After a standout performance at the defensive back position, Wilburn was selected in the eighth round of the 1985 NFL draft. He spent the first five years of his NFL career in Washington, where he led the league with nine interceptions in 1987 and was named first-team All-Pro.

He also started in Super Bowl XXII that year and recorded two interceptions, including one of legendary quarterback John Elway, in their 42–10 victory against the Denver Broncos. Wilburn played eight NFL seasons before moving up north to feature in the Canadian Football League.

His resume includes the rare distinction of winning both a Super Bowl and a Grey Cup (with the BC Lions in 1994). He retired with 246 tackles and 20 interceptions in the NFL after representing the Cleveland Browns (1992), the Kansas City Chiefs (1994), and the Philadelphia Eagles (1995–1996). After his retirement, Wilburn had a stint as a coaching intern at Howard University, where he worked with defensive backs.

While the world continues to remember and celebrate the incredible career of Barry Wilburn, the football community also mourns the passing of another Washington legend.

Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen passes away at 91

Former Washington and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sonny Jurgensen has passed away at the age of 91 from natural causes in Naples, Florida. Jurgensen spent seven seasons in Philadelphia (1957-63) and 11 more in Washington (1964-74) while being a four-time All-Pro.

“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement, as per ABC News. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his final snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”

Jurgensen was traded to Washington in 1964 as part of a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen emerged as a franchise legend as he led the league in passing yards (1966, 1967, 1969), passing touchdowns (1967), completion percentage (1970), and was named a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team.

After retiring in 1974, Jurgensen finished with 2,433 completions, 32,224 passing yards, 255 touchdowns, and five 3,000-yard seasons. Celebrating his incredible career, the star quarterback was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

Our thoughts are with the friends and family members of both players.