Athlete and Coach Eric Tipton Dies

.c The Associated Press

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - Eric Tipton, a former professional baseball player and member of the National College Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was 86.

Tipton died of heart failure Wednesday at his Newport News home.

Tipton, a star running back and punter at Duke in the mid-1930s, spent seven seasons in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds. The outfielder hit .270 with 22 homers and 151 RBIs in 501 career games.

He was an assistant football coach at William and Mary, and also coached football and baseball at Army.

He was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1965, and also was honored at Duke, William and Mary, and Army.

Tipton was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Gertrude Taylor Tipton.

Tipton's funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Bucktrout of Williamsburg Funeral Home Chapel, with burial to follow at Williamsburg Memorial Park.