larry csonka obituary larry csonka obituary

Ive been at 411mania for over 12 years and the honor of knowing Larry will be among my best achievements. I did, I did and I did. Thank you for you being a mentor and friend. It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of my son-in-law, Larry Thomas Csonka. Larry was always the first I would go to since he was usually the first to post his thoughts. LARRY CSONKA NFL HALL OF FAME CAREER LARRY CSONKA NFL CAREER HIGHLIGHTSLarry Csonka, a classic 6 foot 3, 235-pound line-smashing fullback, provided the major. Before I ever became part of the 411 team I was a daily reader and Larry was the person I spent the most time reading. Im lucky to say that I knew Larry before most of you did. Andrew Sinclair: The news of Larrys passing hit me like a ton of bricks. Career Stats Game Log Splits. The news of his passing is extremely saddening. It means writing about what it means to write about wrestling, about how to be a critic and a fan, about struggling to maintain your love for the industry while simultaneously acknowledging its many flaws. Jim Kiick, a running back and important member of the Miami Dolphins Super Bowl teams of the 1970s, passed away June 20 at the age 73. Judged by that metric, Larry exemplified all of the traits that you would want in a co-worker, a friend, a father, or a husband. One of the officers who responded to the scene said he heard Csonka tell her mother that they just wanted a ride and I was showing off, according to the arrest report. The Pro Football Hall of Fame came to Stow on Monday morning when Larry Csonka paid a visit to his old stomping grounds. Larry is such a constant in the wrestling writing scene dating back to the early 2000s. There were no exceptions. He played for the Miami Dolphins in the American Football League (AFL) from 1968 to 1969 and in the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1977, except for 1975 when he played in the World Football . Fast forward six years. I think I got it on a Thursday and read it by Sunday afternoon.. Im currently listening to Wrestling Observer Live, where Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive are paying tribute to Larry (Its okay Bryan, I pronounced his last name Kezonka for a while myself). . More than I can probably remember. The man was an absolute machine. Due to that, he missed three games in 19869 and the other three in 1969. So go out and have the best fucking match you can with the people that you love. The Csonkas were one of those couples. Click here for our privacy policy. It is a testament to Larrys impact and influence in the wrestling world that he is getting such words from big parts of the industry. But at least Ive been able to slip them on and shuffle in them enough to keep them moving a bit. After taking retirement from Football, he became a motivational speaker. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. ROBERT WINFREE: Actor: The Six Million Dollar Man. Rest in Power.. A couple years after I started reading the site, a call went out looking for new columnists at 411 and I was all too eager to throw my hat in the ring. Larry had a better grasp on the language of professional wrestling he was able to clearly articulate why he enjoyed what he enjoyed and why he didnt. Thats whats going to be weird now and hard to accept. Back when he did his first podcast, I would email in little things to him when he invited reader responses. JEREMY LAMBERT: Ask 411 Wrestling: Will CM Punk Return to Face MJF? Larry Csonka HOF Signed Autograph Auto 1969 Topps Rookie Card # 120 PSA 10 slab. Through the years, any time I had an issue with something happening on the site / with my columns, I knew I could always reach out to him and have a fair discussion. You folks that have been around us a while will get that one. Implausible. Everytime Id search, the first page of every search would have a very familiar Csonkas Review of XYZ. Im going to think of him each time I do this, and be forever grateful. Without fail, those searches always returned a result. Perhaps it will be in Csonka's next book. His wife and daughters were his life, well above his seemingly insatiable hunger for more wrestling. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Aside from (maybe) Dave Meltzer, I dont think anybody on this planet has written as much about the crazy world of pro-wrestling as Larry did. The car had a bumper sticker that said let me guess license and registration, the affidavit said. Members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins - the only team with a perfect season in NFL history - have already . Some people lead through fear or attempting to control, Larrys leadership style was rooted in empowering people, encouraging them, and making them believe. Dense, tangled webs of promotions, characters and feuds with decades of context to unravel. Larry WAS 411Mania. When I wrote the acknowledgements section of my PhD dissertation, I thanked Larry for giving me the freedom to rediscover my love of writing. Being a fan of professional wrestling has often meant struggling to say goodbye to the very people who made us fans in the first place. Not even a full two years after that, I tuned in to Monday Night Raw one evening in June, a ritual that I had since the very first episode aired in 1993. SPONSORED. We were friends for the best part of twenty years and I am sad we never got the chance to meet in person. It's sort of been nice and refreshing to hear all the stuff again in that book, Dr. Saltis said. Larry gradually delegated more duties around the site so he could spend more time with his family. Thankfully, Csonka reviewed it all, so we all stood a chance. And in that, Im sure Im not alone. Over the past decade, Larry grew into someone I considered a close friend. Theres no need for me to tell you something that you dont already know. Csonka gave Dolphin fans . I talked with Larry quite a bit on Twitter, in direct messages, etc. Thank you for sharing your heart with us. See more. Without this website, probably none of the rest of my writing career, wrestling-related or otherwise, would have ever happened. So it came to be that I had two stints, a cumulative six-years-plus of emailing weekly with Larry to send him columns and input for PPV round table previews and Fact or Fiction opinion pieces. They were the Internet Wrestling Database with Meltzers ratings, this site, and Larry Csonka at 411 Mania. I don't know. I learned that he was a generous man. Larry Csonka, 1972 Dolphins keeping an eye on undefeated Eagles during 50th anniversary. Right now though, were all just heartbroken. Oak Hill has managed to lure Larry Csonka, the former pro football running back who helped the Miami Dolphins snare the only undefeated season in the history of the National Football League . Champion on Raw, among those listed (pre-Raw Draft results)? Every so often, Id send Larry a Please dont be angry, Boss, but my comeback is going to be a little more delayed than I first thought. Thank you for your friendship, for the talks, and for being a fan. Words cant express how much he will be missed. Loving what you do is a powerful thing, and he loved writing about wrestling and loved providing content for his readers. Larry Csonka is not having an affair with anyone presently. Larry Csonka is 76 years old. How tall is Larry Csonka? It is true that, much like the wrestlers whose names I mentioned above, I had never met Larry Csonka face-to-face. When I got started at 411mania and moved into different positions, Larry was one of the people who I could always count on to help me along. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When Heat mercifully came to an end, Larry didnt ask if I wanted to keep writing for 411. He once told me how he wished he could just fly over to Europe and hang out in the back of the room, sinking beers in York Hall or the Turbinenhalle. He just asked what I would be writing about next. When Csonka, then 33, retired just before the 1980 season after owner Joe Robbie`s $230,000 salary bid fell $20,000 short of his demands, Csonka`s ledger with the Dolphins and the Giants showed . I hope you find Many Buys~! Youve changed my life in a very real way, and you will forever be in my thoughts. When the news of his death broke, tributes came pouring in from every corner of wrestling social media. Larry always gave it to you straight, even if you disagreed with him he never pandered, never trolled, never praised or buried simply for the sake of doing so. Click here for our privacy policy. Literally until the day of his tragic passing Larry was there, writing reviews, sharing his words with the world that loved to read them. I dont know if Ive had more of a role model in terms of what I do in my career than Larry. Larry Csonka was an institution at 411. He wasn't a phony. Me? Larrys in depth analysis provided a snapshot of a company that helped me unleash my creativity. What I can say, though, is that the man is a formative part of my wrestling fandom. Larrys creative output was pretty much unmatched. Things happen. To this day on my phone browser the auto-generated most frequently visited page is a link to a page of his work. Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey. I dont tend to be the type of person who swallows his opinions because Im afraid theyll be unpopular with the masses (think along the lines of 2005 equivalents of Roman Reigns works hard and deserves his spot or I agree with what Jim Cornette thinks of the Young Bucks). Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee. He never shot any idea I had down, and didnt even bat an eye when I considered helping out a friend with another wrestling site. In High School, he played for 3 years Metropolitan League of the Akron-area championship the school. We also want to pass along a GoFundMe organized in Larrys honor: Robin Reid: Larry was a guy whose work ethic put everybody else in the sphere to shame. He had grown up on a farm a half hour . But Ive never met someone with the passion that Larry had for wrestling. Though backstage drama has been limited in my time writing for 411mania, when Larry was in charge and required to deal with a situation, you could count on him to adjudicate in the manner he felt best, not in the manner that would merely serve his own personal agenda. The outpouring of support over the last 24 hours have only validated that sentiment. Would have been great to have a bad movie night with the guy and just crack jokes back and forth. So when I review a show that doesnt click, whether it is because of poor booking decisions, bad wrestling, or all of the above, it annoys me. The Flagship: New WWE Title, CM Punk at RAW, STARDOM & more! But, Ill let that be a lesson, just like Larrys life work may well be a lesson to follow our passions. And you know what? He is an actor, known for The Six Million Dollar Man (1974), Ballers (2015) and Snake Eater (1989). When I left 411 in early 2006, I kept in touch with Larry, usually through email or AIM, just to talk shop every so often. I was never called to service but several in my family have served our country. Larry Csonka was born on 25 December 1946 in Stow, Ohio, USA. I think he took a special interest in Larry because he saw that he had so much potential, and it worked out that way, didn't it? It was a tribute to his insane work ethic that he managed to balance running 411, reviewing nearly everything wrestling-related to have ever existed, dealing with the chaotic and immature (and ever-changing) writing staff, and spending time with his supportive family that he loved more than anything else on this Earth. He wanted us to shine, individually, as a writer of the site. View Tribute Book. It felt like every one of Larrys friends and followers were having a baby alongside him his enthusiasm was just that infectious. Jack Beckmann: I dont remember the first time I encountered a Larry Csonka review. Csonka and Shula found common ground in being Ohio natives of Hungarian descent. He showed me that writing is an act of love, and he helped me learn to love how much I love professional wrestling. I quickly realised I could not. Her comment to me was that, though she obviously mourned her husband, she still ultimately felt fortunate. Opens in a new window or tab. Show your support. Longtime pro wrestling critic Larry Csonka passed away days later. He was so proud of his kids and had so much love for his wife. The divorce was finalized on the 12th of November 1987. After that, he signed with New York Giants in 1976 and played for the team for 2 years. One of the first names I read on this was Larry Csonka. Both deaths came days before the 21st anniversary of Owen Hart's tragic death during WWE's Over The Edge event. Moving forward, he joined Syracuse college. Dont let anything stop you. Throughout it all, he remained a friend and rock to lean on when I was struggling to live up to the high bar he set. He knew of the struggles my wife and I had with miscarriages and he was there to listen if I needed someone. 8 overall) in 1968, but he struggled to fit in otherwise. LEN ARCHIBALD: Larry Csonka is 6-3 (190 cm) tall. Im just shocked, saddened, and angry. He was my first port of call if I needed to check something. Never forget that, buddy, he said with a laugh. I sent in my column Sunday, May 17th, in the evening, to Larry and Jeremy via email. Announces EX Stages, WWE 2K23 Releases New Patch With AI Improvements, GM Mode Updates, Steiner Row DLC Pack Hits WWE 2K23 Tomorrow, New MyFaction Packs, 411 Ground and Pound MMA Podcast: UFC 288 Preview, 411s UFC Fight Night Report: Song Stops Simon, 411 Ground and Pound MMA Podcast: UFC on ESPN+ 80 Review, 411s UFC Fight Night Report: Pavlovich Stops Blaydes. But there's a . He was a Top 5 member of the wrestling community and an invaluable resource for two decades of professional wrestling. Csonka said Saltis turned my life around through mentorship. His content forced those who were serious about raising their game to do just that. And now hes gone. Csonka had wanted to write a book for decades. He visits Ohio frequently. One of the passengers, 15-year-old Harold M. Weinfurtner, was killed. So he lives in Alaska nearly half the year, starring in the outdoors show North By Alaska that airs on the Outdoor Life Network. This thinly veiled world where anonymity gives strength and privacy is as powerful as one allows it. I had enjoyed Larrys reviews prior to getting the gig as a news reporter on 411, but hadnt actually spoken to the man until I was offered the job, some four years after I had been writing reviews and my weekly column. He did it all, from filling in for live recaps when the Raw guy stopped showing up, to repeatedly reminding people that he wasnt THAT Larry Csonka, to covering for his idiot Monday news reporter at the absolute last minute way too many times, and he did it all with good humor and professionalism. Carley Csonka charged in high-speed crash that, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The new orlandosentinel.com: FAQs and more, Carley Csonka charged in high-speed crash that killed teen, 2-year-old daughter of Bucs LB Shaq Barrett drowns in pool, UCF draft tracker: No Knights picked, multiple UDFAs sign with NFL teams, Boston Bruins, after setting NHL records for wins and points, get eliminated in the 1st round with a Game 7 OT loss, After ouster, future uncertain for Lightning. I had offered to try to put together enough to make up the difference in cost and he at first kindly said no, and then it became a rather firm rejection. Larry Csonka weighed 237 lbs (107 kg) when playing. I hope he rests in peace, and I pray for his family and friends. Larry was obviously an icon for his writing, but more importantly, he was an amazing husband and father who had a family that loved him dearly.. Lade jetzt unsere mobile App herunter. When I look back on the time Ive spent at 411mania.com, there has always been one constant; Larry. A painting. Steve Case: Back around 2012-2013, when I learned that wrestling matches received praise and shame via star ratings and written reviews, I settled on three places that seemed to more or less share my views of the medium. I was checking the site out way back in the day, even before Larry back before 411mania was a thing when it was 411wrestling. An appreciation for the art of tag team wrestling. Even when an unfortunate series of circumstances took his leg, he remained upbeat and dedicated to bringing wrestling news and reviews to the fans. As I thought through the companies that interest me, I had the thought if Csonka reviews it, its probably worthwhile. And that was my list. We knew of his daughters, of his wife, of his mother, of his health scares, his leg loss. Its going to be weird not knowing what the answers are anymore. We can never repay you for what you have done for us. Ive written tribute columns. STARDOM? An absolute machine with a big heart. He was truly a good man who was full of . Larry was one of a kind there. Dr. Lawrence M. Saltis knew Larry Csonka's escapades were on a collision course with readers, but he didn't realize an advance copy of Head On would arrive at his house a few weeks ago. It's a lot of fun." Larry Csonka was named MVP of Super Bowl VIII. In eighth grade, he gave football another shot, playing with high school freshmen because there wasn't a junior high team at the time. When was Larry Csonka born? In 1989, he was also honored with the College Football Hall of Fame. Ten years ago, I didnt know Id publish two books; Larry pushed me. JEREMY THOMAS: Sure, it means writing about wrestlers and matches and storylines and promotions. Rest easy, brother. I didnt always agree with Larrys opinion (Im an easier critic to please than he ever was! And if you didnt believe he watched all those shows, hed type up the goddamn play-by-play to back it up. Larry made it here first, and brought me along soon afterward. It is not easy being the workhorse-grinding out columns, reviews, lists, think pieces and op-eds. Csonka's memoir, which will be released Oct. 4, chronicles his Super Bowl glory days with the Miami Dolphins and iconic path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it also outlines a fascinating . Browse Stow local obituaries on Legacy.com. O'Neil was a fixture in . The 18-year-old Csonka, who said she is a relative of Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka, was arrested Tuesday and faces a vehicular homicide charge. Several people combined couldnt replicate his output as a writer. His output was second to none and became the stuff of legends. Jim Kiick was a running back who played for the Miami Dolphins during their 1972 . Others have come and gone, fallen out of favor with wrestling or just faded into obscurity but not Larry. Laughing and joking about the bad wrestling, in awe of the good wrestling. The wrestling media that has grown so large today grew from those early days and Larry was a part of that, growing from a writer (most notably covering TNA back in those early days) to a senior editor here at 411 and ultimately leaving his mark as a legendary wrestling reviewer. When my first contributor column went up for 411mania in 2011 or so Larry was already an institution in the internet wrestling community. At Syracuse University, he excelled in football enough for the Dolphins to deem him worthy of a first-round draft pick (No. Larry has been writing about wrestling since the early years of the Internet Wrestling Community, back when fans like myself would congregate on message boards or AOL chat rooms to talk wrestling. I worked with him every weekday morning for eight years. Lets not kid ourselves here. Larry was not only a talented writer and reporter, but he was also a loving family man. We're not around right now. There was heavy damage to the passenger side Harold was sitting in the front passenger seat and the cars bumper separated from the vehicle, police said. It's . Stop the worrying; the fear of uncertainty, the possibility of failure. As someone who has always struggled with Imposter Syndrome, lacking confidence that my work is good enough for anyone to read, Larrys reviews of every TNA/Impact show, past or present, were a godsend. As much content as he provided readers, what he contributed behind the scenes is incredible. Csonka was no stranger to trouble. When I took over sole coverage duties for MMA I took no small amount of inspiration and guidance from his example, and while I could never be the Larry Csonka of the MMA zone (it would require me watching not only the UFC, but Bellator, PFL, ONE, Rizin, Titan FC, LFA, and whatever my local promotion is on a weekly basis), I always wanted to put for that kind of quality. I dealt with Larry for over a decade, and in every interaction I had with him, he was kind, courteous, but still drove me to be a better writer with his work ethic, his skills, and his humor. JEFFREY HARRIS: After Carley Csonka finished driving in excess of 80 mph down Old Daytona Road in October in DeLand, police say she told her two passengers she wanted to go faster. Thank you, and may your soul rest in peace. We actually started at roughly the same time, and nearly instantly, Larry went from our new TNA reviewer to basically running the site. And through the way he lived his life, especially in the face of adversity, people facing hard times in their life were inspired by Larry. Larry Csonka spent 11 seasons in the NFL playing fullback for the Dolphins and Giants, while managing to eclipse 1,000+ rushing yards 3 different times (they only played 14 game seasons back then). Larry is also a motivational speaker and host for NBC Sports Network. It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of my son-in-law, Larry Thomas Csonka. There is not a column Ive written where I havent somehow, in some way, glanced over his work to double check my sources. Uncle Charlie was in the Battle of the Bulge with General Patton. My relationship with professional wrestling has always been more intermittent, when the product isnt for me I tune out. Beyond that, Larry was infinitely patient with me as I was still figuring out how to be a writer on a stage as highly visible as 411. Seemingly every day he had something new on the site, be it a wrestling show review or a column. He leaves behind a massive hole that will be next to impossible to fill, because I cant imagine anyone else putting in the same amount of time and effort into this field that Larry did over the years. Csonka also has homes in Florida, along the Indian River south of Daytona Beach, and Lisbon, Ohio, where he and his older brother, Joe, bought a farm. Eileen Simmons is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Christi Csonka. He lived what he preached. We still talked on Twitter and things like that, but it did feel weird doing morning shifts solo after so long. Online Memory & Photo Sharing Event. There was always a sense of pride I felt whenever he shared a review I had written. If you want to get a sense of just how massive Larrys reach was with his writing, one look at the remembrances and condolences says it all. I didn't necessarily believe it for two or three years. After hearing about his passing I went back and read some of our emails and messages and smile at the interactions. If theres one thing you could do right now; some dream that doesnt seem realistic. There cant be more than a handful of people who have watched and written about more wrestling than Larry. For anyone who follows internet wrestling sites, writes or wrote for them, or is even just an everyday fan of the business, Larry Csonka was a guy who exemplified what it means to be a fan, a terrific writer, a leader, and an all-around great guy. My many fellow former and current writers for 411Mania and I will remember Larry for his prolific and extensive reviews of just about any and every wrestling show imaginable and for his humor and satiric wit. And just his output in general was amazing and awe inspiring. He was a very down to earth, regular guy. He is an actor, known for The Six Million Dollar Man (1974), Ballers (2015) and Snake Eater (1989). But, at his core, he was a standup guy in a world where the supply of standup guys seems to be diminishing every day. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! Pretty Deadly in a Trunk Match, Powells WWE Raw Hit List: Triple H introduces a WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt, Bad Bunny returns, Rey Mysterio vs. Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes vs. Finn Balor, Bianca Belair, The Usos and Solo Sikoa vs. or Best Offer. Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Andy both served in Korea and my mothers brother, Uncle Ralph, also served in Germany. And he always there. Csonka over corrected, causing the car to go sideways. ), or even which show it was (Raw, maybe? Despite knowing what I like and dont in wrestling, I still read Larrys articles and trusted his judgment because he was a reliable, hard worker. How old is Larry Csonka? I will cover RAW tonight and Ill do it the best I can. Genres Football Sports Nonfiction Biography. You are now ELEVENTY BILLION STARS., CHAD WEBB: 411 Wrestling (@411wrestling) May 18, 2020. He led the . 22.9K Followers. Flair & Triple H, AEW Dynamite Ratings Report: Key viewership and rating comparisons this year vs. last year through 17 weeks, 7-day total viewership updates, Powells AEW Dynamite Hit List: Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara for a shot at the AEW World Championship, Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie for the TBS Title,Orange Cassidy vs. Bandido for the AEW International Title,Dax Harwood vs. Jeff Jarrett,Kenny Omega and Konosuke Takeshita vs. You can either credit or blame him for a lot of the trouble Ive caused over the years. I was always in awe of his ability and quite frankly, if I could ever be half the writer or editor that he is, I would consider myself gifted. or Best Offer. He was a loving husband and father, and my heart absolutely shatters for those left behind, struggling to figure out their next move. To his family, I can only say thank you. From High school, he started his football journey as a running back which was totally out of his path.