By GEORGE B. EICHORN

Saying goodbye is never easy. These last few days have been especially hard for longtime sports followers in the state of Michigan as three Hall of Famers have left us in the space of several days.

They say deaths go in threes, especially in Hollywood and politics. Now, we know it happens in the sports world also as Everett “Sonny” Grandelius, George Puscas and Will Robinson have entered into eternal life.

The first to go was Grandelius, a larger than life man who was born April 16, 1929, in Muskegon Heights , Michigan and died on April 25 in Beverly Hills . He was a star football player at Michigan State , a college and pro football coach, broadcaster and gridiron executive.

Sonny was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (MSHOF) in 2006 but honestly deserved the honor many years before that.  He led his Muskegon Heights team to back to back state championships in 1945 as a quarterback and in 1946 as a fullback when he was also selected as a first team All-State.

At MSU, he rushed for 184 yards in the 1950 season opener, establishing a then school record. During his senior season, he gained 1,023 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 163 attempts, the 17th back in NCAA history to rush for 1000 yards or more in a season and the first at Michigan State . He was the leading scorer for the team and selected as the team’s MVP. Grandelius also was an All-American his senior year; selected by three publications including the AP.

He was ranked fourth in average career yards per carry (6.09) at Michigan State (minimum 150 attempts) and tied for 10th in rushing touchdowns for one season (11). He had seven 100-yard rushing games in his career and earned Most Valuable Player honors in the 1951 Hula Bowl. Sonny also lettered in boxing his sophomore year.

Drafted as the 11th pick in the third round (37th overall) of the 1952 NFL Draft, Grandelius played one season (1953) in the NFL for the New York Giants. He rushed 108 times for 278 yards with one touchdown and 15 receptions for 80 yards.

Grandelius was hired as the head football coach of Colorado beginning with the 1959 season. He would lead the team to greatness, including a Big Eight Conference Championship in 1961. He was the head football coach of the Buffaloes from 1959 to 1961 and posted a 20-11 (.645) record.

However, shortly after the 1962 Orange Bowl that Colorado lost, it became apparent that Grandelius had been using a secret fund to pay top recruits and their families. The NCAA investigated and released the findings on April 27, 1962, which resulted in Grandelius’ firing.

After Colorado , he went on to coaching positions with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. He then was an NFL color commentator for CBS for the Lions in 1965-67. Grandelius was also the general manager for the WFL Detroit Wheels in 1974.

“For any of us who were privileged enough to know Sonny and call him a friend, we knew him as one of the most honorable, respected and dignified persons in our sports history,” said Jim Stark, president, MSHOF.

“He was also instrumental in helping us to get our annual golf invitational started three years ago and served as our sponsoring member at Plum Hollow Country Club. He also served as our golf committee co-chair during the last three years. His passing is a tremendous loss for all of us who knew and respected him.”

Then came word we had lost George Puscas at age 81 on April 25 due to congestive heart failure in Pontiac . He called Beverly Hills his home.

Puscas and Joe Falls were the two big sports columnists in Detroit for a long, long time. George was best known for his insightful coverage of the Lions, the NFL and the sport of boxing. He covered the Lions 1957 NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns, numerous Super Bowls and all the big fights involving the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard.

His “Love Letters of a Sports Writer” was a Free Press sports feature for almost 50 years, even 14 years following Puscas’ 1992 official retirement. Readers’ comments – in letter form — on the Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings and boxing were answered in print in only the way Puscas knew how — with a sharp pen and tongue!

George was a hard working journalist and longtime board member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He earned his spot in the Hall in 2004 at ceremonies in Cobo Center that included Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and Pistons owner Bill Davidson.

“I am so blown away learning that George Puscas died,” said former state boxing commissioner Stuart Kirschenbaum. “I had such a special relationship with that man. Being commissioner and George being the boxing writer for the Free Press, I must have been on the phone with George at least twice a week over a span of 12 years. He was a wonderful person and I’ll miss him dearly.”

Added Free Press sports editor Gene Myers, “Sports fans have lost a wonderful friend. George was one of Michigan ’s most influential media figures of the 20th Century.”

And then came the news that we had lost a third friend and giant of sports lore. Will Robinson, born way back on June 2, 1911 had passed away peacefully in Harper Woods on April 28. The former college basketball coach and college and pro scout was so loved and respected by the basketball world that the Pistons had already renamed their locker room in his honor.

Robinson became the first African-American head coach in Division I history when he accepted the position at Illinois State University (ISU) in 1970. He was a 1937 graduate of West Virginia State University. After graduating from college, he became a head coach at several high schools in Chicago and Detroit. He would coach such future professional athletes as Spencer Haywood, Ralph Simpson, Mel Daniels, Ted Sizemore and Doug Collins.

Robinson’s greatest acclaim came at Pershing, where he led the Doughboys to state titles in 1967 and 1970. He totaled 26 years as a basketball and football coach in the Detroit Public School League.

In 1970, Robinson became the head coach at ISU, a position he would hold until 1975. After leaving the Redbirds, he became a scout for the Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons. He was inducted into the MSHOF in 1982 and retired from the Pistons in 2003.

At the age of 96, Robinson was still well remembered by his many friends and athletes. Many visited him in his declining years to share stories, laugh and hold his hands in a special bond of love and respect.

Will Robinson was Detroit basketball. Along with the likes of Haywood, Dave DeBusschere, Sammy Washington, Lofton Greene, Dave Bing, Bob Lanier, Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, basketball became something special in the Motor City whether it was on the sandlots, high school gyms, college field houses or professional arenas.

Robinson left an indelible mark on this city and the sport he loved. He earned the trust of so many athletes and individuals he touched. The Pistons were so very kind to him and deserve accolades for making him a scout and assistant to the general manager. He earned three NBA Championship rings with the Pistons.

“Will Robinson was truly one of the great legends in life,” said Dumars who was scouted in 1986 by the late coach. “Will was one of a kind. Will inspired me and every other person he came in contact with. We will miss him dearly and he will always be in our hearts.”

Three giants gone, just like that, yet they left us with so many memories and smiles. May God bless them and their loved ones left behind.

Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com

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