Former NFL TE David Pivec dies at 80

According to Frederick N. Rasmussen with the Baltimore Sun, David “Dave” Pivec died from causes related to dementia.

David J. “Dave” Pivec, a former NFL tight end who became a millionaire business executive and philanthropist, died of complications from dementia May 11 at his Cockeysville home. He was 80.

“Dave was such a great ballplayer and a really good guy,” said Robert Papa, his University of Notre Dame football teammate and roommate. “He was aggressive, tough and a well-liked guy, and he was big. He was 6 feet, 3 inches and weighed 240 pounds, which was typical in those days for a player, and he could catch anything.

Pivec was drafted by the Bears, but he never played for them

Pivec left Notre Dame following a bar fight in his sophomore year. He played a couple of years in the Canadian Football League before heading to the NFL. Per Rasmussen, the Bears drafted him in 1965.

Mr. Pivec signed with the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, where he was a tight end for two years, until being drafted by the NFL’s Chicago Bears, who immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Rams, where he played for three years.

He then played one season for the Denver Broncos before calling it quits.

The Bears drafted him in the 14th round (No. 185) of the 1965 NFL Draft. He recorded 14 receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown in his four-year professional career. He played in 45 total games and started in seven.