How fitting that Ernie Zampese's death Monday in La Mesa, at age 86, coincided with reports of another NFL tight end moving close to a big-money contract.
The creative efforts some four decades ago of Zampese, who spent his entire 26-year NFL career as an assistant coach or consultant, abetted the transformation of the Chargers' Kellen Winslow into a Hall of Famer who broadened the possibilities for agile tight ends such as the Raiders' Darren Waller, the latest beneficiary, to come.
"He was a genius," former Chargers running back Hank Bauer, who played and coached under Zampese, said Monday. The Washington Commanders, who employ one of Zampese's sons, Ken, as their quarterbacks coach, announced the death.
