William H. "Pete" Mandley (born July 29, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft.[1] Standing at 5'10" and 191 lbs. from Northern Arizona, Mandley played in seven NFL seasons from 1984–1990. His best year as a pro came during the 1987 season for the Lions when he caught 58 receptions for 720 yards and 7 touchdowns.
On August 16, 1987, Mandley and his family were supposed to be on Northwest Airlines Flight 255 from Detroit to Phoenix when his daughter had taken ill. He cancelled his reservation and decided that he and his family would stay in Detroit an extra day. He later learned that the flight had crashed on takeoff killing all but one on board.[2]
References
- ^ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Football Player's Family Skips Flight". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 18, 1987. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
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