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Former Kansas City Chiefs player Jimmy Wilkerson dies at 43; high school honours late assistant coach with teary win

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Former Kansas City Chiefs player Jimmy Wilkerson dies at 43; high school honours late assistant coach with teary win


Former Kansas City Chiefs draft pick and longtime NFL defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson sadly passed away earlier this week on December 13 in Oklahoma City. He was 43 years old.

Longtime NFL player Jimmy Wilkerson, 43, passed away on December 13 in Oklahoma — a day before the final game of his son Maddox’s senior season. (Instagram (maddoxwilkerson45))

Before his unfortunate demise, Wilkerson was employed as an assistant coach at Carl Albert High School. According to The Oklahoman, the Titans were scheduled to have their final practice before the Saturday game. A few hours before the planned schedule, the former OU standout was at home when a call went out to paramedics for an emergency. Wilkerson, however, was reportedly no longer with us before the officials arrived. A heart attack is believed to be the cause of his untimely death.

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More about the NFL star’s pro career. His son is also a football player

Throughout his NFL career, the Oklahoma athlete played with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2003-07. Eventually, he switched over to Tampa Bay for two seasons before joining the New Orleans Saints roster in 2010. His NFL path culminated with Seattle in 2011.

The late assistant coach’s son, senior tight-end Maddox Wilkerson, followed in his father’s footsteps, playing alongside his teammates for Carl Albert. With barely a day elapsed between his dad breathing his last breath and his school’s showdown against Guthrie, the #45 athlete (the same number his dad wore while playing at the collegiate level) still stepped up to the occasion and participated in the crucial match, which ultimately paved the way for a historic victory.

Jimmy Wilkerson’s memory honoured by historic Carl Albert victory

Despite reeling from the older Wilkerson’s death, the Carl Albert team defeated Guthrie 30-6 at the Class 5A state championship football game at the Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Saturday, December 14. It marked the school’s third consecutive Class 5A title and the program’s 19th overall. Nevertheless, the post-game visuals stung with the abject pain of loss.

With tears in his eyes, Carl Albert coach Mike Dunn praised the student-athletes for rising above the prevailing hardship, saying, “Proud of all of our guys. Different circumstances today. … I don’t know that we’ve ever dealt with adversity like that.”

Maddox’s mother, Jamie, reportedly offered him the option to sit out the game. Yet he did more than show up for the team. “We were trying really hard to get him in” the end zone, Dunn said of the young player. “But he’s made plays all year long, and so I know his dad would be proud of him.”

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He added, “You talk about hard. That kid dealt with a lot. … He’s a great kid, great family and he’s gonna have a bunch of coaches, we’ll never be his dad, but we’ll always be there for him.”

“Everybody earned this…but this one’s going home tonight with Maddox Wilkerson.”

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Maddox Wilkerson’s teammates stand by him

Carl Albert Captain Caden Davis said of the late NFL player, “You can’t replace a guy like Coach Wilkerson. He’s so selfless and gives everything he has to everybody.”

Alluding to the example set by Maddox, he added, “That guy is so tough. Maddox is such a strong guy.”

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Similarly, linebacker and OU signee Marcus James noted, “He came out and handled business like he was supposed to. … It was great for him to come out and be able to take the field and be able to play after a time like that.”

On Friday, the deceased NFL talent’s son paid a tribute to his father on Instagram. “You were the best dad and also my best friend,” he wrote on social media. “I love you so much, Dad. Life won’t ever be the same without you here by my side.”

According to social media receipts, Jimmy Wilkerson is survived by his wife, Jamie, and four kids, Tyson, Maddox, Jax, and Emilia.

On Friday, Maddox Wilkerson honoured his late father by posting a slideshow of their shared memories on Instagram.
On Friday, Maddox Wilkerson honoured his late father by posting a slideshow of their shared memories on Instagram.



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A new mural in the Kansas Statehouse commemorates 13 Kansas suffragettes.

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A new mural in the Kansas Statehouse commemorates 13 Kansas suffragettes.


The Kansas Statehouse’s latest mural commemorating Kansas suffragettes was unveiled on Kansas Day.

The 18-feet-by-8-feet oil painting’s original design had been approved in fall 2023 by the Capitol Preservation Committee. It was chosen over 24 other applicants.

Artist Phyllis Garibay-Coon titled the painting “Rebel Women” in appreciation of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a writer and activist for women’s suffrage, abolition and Native American Rights.

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“She was too much of a rebel for Susan B. Anthony. Why? Because she wanted equality for all people,” Garibay-Coon said.

Garibay-Coon studied the subjects and included small details from her research in the mural, like the hoop earrings worn by Lutie Lytle, the first Black woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association, or the pin worn by lecturer, newspaper editor and Underground Railroad conductor Clarina Nichols.

In total there are 13 Kansas suffragettes depicted in the painting.

“I just looked at what they did, and looked at the clothing they were wearing in the pictures,” Garibay-Coon said. “I would take those little things and try to get as clear an image as I could.”

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Gov. Laura Kelly praised the painting, saying it’s fit to stand with the other pieces around the Statehouse done by Kansas’s most celebrated artists, such as John Steuart Curry.

“You really are among the best of the best,” Kelly told Garibay-Coon at the dedication ceremony.

The dedication was conducted in front of a packed house in the first-floor rotunda of the Kansas Statehouse and was even attended by some descendants of the suffragettes depicted.

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Statehouse tour guide Haley Kelley said women have been waiting for something like this.

“The wonderful women in my family have been here for generations, we have been here since the start of Kansas and these women fought for our rights,” Kelley said. “So to be here today is extraordinary.”



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Kansas senators demand answers after deadly DC plane crash

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Kansas senators demand answers after deadly DC plane crash


WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Both of Kansas’ U.S. senators spoke on Thursday, delivering public comments for the second since the deadly plane crash Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. involving an American Airlines flight inbound from Wichita and a military helicopter.

Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall participated in a virtual call, sitting next to each other. They both expressed that Wednesday night into Thursday morning was the longest night of their lives.

The senators rushed to Ronald Reagan National Airport late Wednesday after a plane arriving from Wichita collided with an Army helicopter as it was preparing to land in D.C., resulting in a bright explosion in the D.C. skyline.

During the joint call, Moran and Marshall emphasized their focus on supporting the families who lost loved ones in the crash. Part of that support includes seeking answers about how and why the plane and helicopter collided.

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Both senators criticized the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday for not disclosing more information about the incident. Marshall pointed out that he believes a series of errors led to the crash.

“I’ll begin with air traffic control,” Marshall stated. “Why were the helicopter and the jet flying at the same altitude at the same time? I’m not a pilot, but I know there are some basic rules of the air.”

The NTSB announced on Thursday that there is no set deadline for the outcomes of the investigation into the crash, but they indicated that a preliminary report would be released in 30 days.

Moran is the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation, the committee oversees the FAA. He will examine the NTSB investigation report, call for witnesses, and look into the military’s training practices near the Reagan National Airport.

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Video Kansas community mourns victims of deadly plane-helicopter crash over DC

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Video Kansas community mourns victims of deadly plane-helicopter crash over DC


Kansas community mourns victims of deadly plane-helicopter crash over DC

Figure skaters and coaches returning from the U.S. national championships were aboard the flight that departed from Wichita, Kansas and collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C.

January 30, 2025



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