Robert "Tractor" Traylor Found Dead in Puerto Rico
Enough Said, confirmed by his team.
http://michigan.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=338&mid=144458351&sid=883&tid=144458167&style=1
Terrible news. Thoughts go out to his family and friends and teammates.
Wow. That's unbelievably sad.
Tractor Traylor was the original Jared Sullinger.
Regardless of what happened in his past, this is sad sad news. RIP Tractor.
Rosenberg's better article on the topic of his life from 2009 is reposted in full here - would highly suggest all read it in light of this sad news
So here it is in case others do as well:
http://www.wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?15453-Mateen-wasn-t-clean
Bill Buntin ended my dad's playing career. My dad was his backup at the 5 in Ann Arbor. Buntin landed on him and wrecked his knee in 1963.
Fortunately he didn't end my dad.
Expanding on my connection of Buntin and Traylor; I expect that the names of Bill Buntin and Robert Traylor will now be sadly linked forever.
Robert Traylor actually won the Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player Award in 1997. That is an irony that is as amazing as it is tragic.
Buntin and Traylor were two of the historically most important big men to ever come out of the PSL and go to Michigan. Both were instrumental in Big Ten Championhips (noting that Traylor's was vacated). They were hugely comparable figures on the court.
Sad, really sad. He is about my age, so, also, scary.
Tragic news.
I can still remember him going in the stands to hug his grandma after we won the Big Ten Tournament in 98.
Thank you. I am at work and the facebook profile is blocked. I did not know where to find the link.
Sad news for sure. Grew up watching him play for Michigan.
Could you link one that is not in Spanish?
A Ellerbe-coached team led by MOP Tractor Traylor winning the inaugural Big 10 tourney - and UM's only Big 10 tourney - is a seemingly distant memory. RIP, big man.
And, technically, didn't happen. Thanks to the fact that Traylor took cash from Ed Martin.
But even at that, this is sad. Good thoughts to the Traylor family. I definitely owned a #54 jersey back in the day, he was as exciting as it came.
That is really awful. RIP.
RIP RT. You will be missed.
That is really sad and unexpected. RIP tractor.
but I always had great fondness for the big guy.
R.I.P Tractor Traylor
sad news - i hope his family and close friends make it through this tough time.
I was at the game where he broke the backboard sitting in the 4th row and it still to this day is the most exciting moment i've witnessed in person (related to sports of course).
RIP Tractor 54
I still remember watching him play basketball in high school. He was truly a man amongest boys back then.
It is so sad. RIP Traylor. Thoughts go out to his family.
It is so sad. RIP Traylor. Thoughts go out to his family.
It is so sad. RIP Traylor. Thoughts go out to his family.
Sad to hear this. Deepest condolences to his family.
I love how he walked through it like it was no big deal.
If I remember correctly he had dozens of small cuts after that.
Rest in peace, Tractor.
A sad end to a troubled life.
Rest In Peace Big Guy.
RIP, Robert :(
Granted, everyone was clicking in this game, but it's a good clip of the things Traylor did for the young kids that didn't get to watch him.
He was an excellent passer and had a soft touch on his shot. But when he set screens, he'd knock people over. his only real weakness was a horriffic free throw shooting motion (and attitude/work ethid I guess).
So very talented, probably the biggest UofM bust in many years. He had all the tools.
Condolences to his family and friends.
i always liked you big guy!
I still have my Michigan Basketball #54 T-Shirt that I bought because of how much I loved watching Tractor Traylor play. Such sad news
RIP.
RIP big man
Regardless of what went on off the court, he was one of my favorite players to watch on it. RIP big guy.
This is very sad news. RIP man you will be missed by the Michigan family. My thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.
A man among boys. May you RIP Robert.
he was talking to his wife via Skype in the US when he had a massive heart attack. His club team president and teammates went to check on him and had the complex maintenance guy open up the apartment where they found him on the floor.
Incredibly, incredibly sad.
He had history of "a heart defect that required aortic surgery in 2006." Wasn't aware of that. Very sad.
the ed martin scandal? I know Bullock and Taylor were involved, but I can't recall if Tractor was also involved.