February Marred By Deaths of Actor Carl Weathers and Country Singer Toby Keith

February, the month most commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, was off to a somber start this year, as it saw the deaths of two high-profile American figures: actor and professional football player Carl Weathers and country music star Toby Keith.

Carl Weathers, an actor, director, and gridiron football linebacker, passed away at the age of 76 at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2024. Weathers’s death certificate subsequently revealed his cause of death to be atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

According to a statement from his family, Weathers passed away peacefully in his sleep. In that same statement, Weathers’s family described him as “an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life.”

Although Weathers’s career began as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, he left the football field to pursue various roles in the field of acting, after he was cut from the roster for being “too sensitive.”

These roles ranged drastically, with Weathers likely being best known for his portrayals of antagonist-turned-protagonist Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films, as well as comedic relief character Derick “Chubbs” Peterson in Happy Gilmore.

Calvin Greene, a senior at Elmhurst University and fan of the Rocky franchise, was particularly “surprised and saddened” to hear of Weathers’s death, especially because he believed Weathers appeared healthy despite his age.

Although Greene stated that Weathers’s performance as Apollo Creed “certainly put him on the map to Hollywood,” he particularly praised the actor for his most recent role of Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, believing that Weathers did a “phenomenal job” remaining “comfortable and in command of his character” while also inhabiting Karga’s leadership traits.

Similarly, though Greene believes that Weathers will be primarily remembered for his work as an actor, he feels that Weathers should also be remembered for his “overall impressive athleticism,” noting that his physique likely greatly helped him portray serious and physically intimidating characters like Apollo Creed.

Notably, a Super Bowl ad, which was produced by the online gambling company FanDuel and featured fellow former football player Rob Gronkowski, also paid homage to Weathers.

American country music singer and songwriter Toby Keith Covel, known professionally as Toby Keith, also passed away toward the start of February.

Keith passed away at the age of 62 in Oklahoma on Feb. 5, 2024, following a years-long battle with stomach cancer that began in late 2021. Keith’s death was announced via his website the following day.

Although Keith had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2021, he did not publicly disclose his condition until June 2022. Keith performed his last three sold-out shows in Las Vegas two months before his death.

Though Keith was known for such singles as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup,” one of his most well-known songs is “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”

Written in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, as well as the death of Keith’s father, the song contains many patriotic lyrics, with the official music video also featuring several images of Americana, such as fireworks surrounding the Statue of Liberty.

Keith’s death was mourned and his legacy was celebrated by numerous fellow country singers, including Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton, who referred to Keith as “one of the greats.”

Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, John Rich, and Kid Rock similarly expressed sorrow upon learning of Keith’s death, describing the country music star as “a huge presence,” “a maverick,” a “legend,” and an “AMERICAN BADASS,” respectively.

Although Carl Weathers and Toby Keith had many differences, both celebrities impacted society in remarkable ways, and will undoubtedly be remembered for generations to come.