Russ Francis, who played as a tight end for 13 seasons in the NFL and earned three Pro Bowl selections, lost his life in a tragic plane crash on Sunday. The incident occurred at Lake Placid Airport, where Francis had recently become a co-owner of Lake Placid Airways. He was flying with Richard McSpadden, the senior vice president of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, when their plane encountered difficulties shortly after taking off around 4 p.m. Multiple reports confirmed the news of Francis’ death. He was 70 years old.