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Gone Too Soon - From Jovan Belcher's tragic suicide to Hector Camacho's shooting death, BET.com looks back at the lives and legacies of notable sports figures who passed away in 2012. –Britt Middleton

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Jovan Belcher - Stunning family members, fans and teammates, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins before taking his own life on Dec. 1. The 25-year-old and his girlfriend left behind a three-month-old daughter. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Hector "Macho" Camacho - Former world champion boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho was taken off life support and passed away on Nov. 24, days after he was shot multiple times in his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He was 50. (Photo: AP Photo/Donna Connor, File)

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Junior Seau  - It was a sad day for the NFL on May 2 when we learned that former San Diego Chargers lineman Junior Seau was found dead at his Oceanside, California, home, having suffered from an apparent suicide. He was 43 years old. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Bob Boozer - Bob Boozer, who played on the gold-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team in 1960, died of a brain aneurysm on May 20 at the age of 75. Boozer capped off his 11-year NBA career by winning the NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. (Photo:  Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images)

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Joe Paterno - On Jan. 22, Penn State University fans mourned the death of football head coach Joe Paterno, who lost his battle with lung cancer. Affectionately known as "Joe Pa" to fans, the 85-year-old led the team for 46 years, but was fired weeks before his death in the wake of the child sex scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. (Photo: AP Photo/Jim Gerberich, File)

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Sarah Burke - Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died in a tragic skiing accident on Jan. 19. The 29-year-old was a four-time X Games gold medalist and won gold at the 2005 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships. (Photo: Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images) 

Photo By Photo: Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

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Samia Yusuf Omar  - Somalian Olympic sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Libya on April 19. The 21-year-old who represented Somalia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was traveling to Italy, where she was training for the London Games. (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

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Stacy Robinson - Former NFL wide receiver Stacy Robinson, who won two championships with the New York Giants, passed away from cancer on May 5 at age 50. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Pedro Borbon  - Former professional baseball pitcher Pedro Borbon, who led the Cincinnati Reds to two World Series titles in the 1970s, lost his fight with cancer on June 4 at the age of 65. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Teófilo Stevenson - Teófilo Stevenson, the three-time Olympic gold medal boxer who would be revered as a national hero in Cuba, suffered a heart attack and passed away on June 12. He was 60. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Art Modell - Art Modell passed away on Sept. 6 at the age of 87 after a long history of coronary problems. Modell was formerly the owner of both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens and is credited with bringing billions of dollars to the league through negotiations with television networks as well as the expansion of NFL teams to many cities around the U.S. (Photo: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT)

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Johnny Pesky - Red Sox fans mourned the death of beloved player, coach and manager Johnny Pesky on Aug. 13. Pesky was 92. A cause of death was not released. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

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Michael Dokes  - Former heavyweight champion boxer Michael Dokes died from liver cancer on Aug. 13 at the age of 54. In his career, he touched gloves with greats including Muhammad Ali, but his feats were overshadowed by his attempted murder conviction in 2000 for kidnapping and savagely beating his longtime girlfriend. (Photo: Holly Stein / Allsport)

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Steve Sabol - Legendary sports filmmaker and former NFL Films president Steve Sabol passed away at age 69 on Sept. 18 after an 18-month battle with brain cancer. (Photo: Scott Halleran / Allsport)

Photo By Photo: Scott Halleran / Allsport

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Emanuel Steward  - The boxing world mourned the death of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, 68, on Oct. 26 after being hospitalized for an undisclosed illness. Nicknamed "the Godfather of Detroit boxing," Stewart notably helmed the careers of Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Tommy Hearns. (Photo: Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images) 

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Pascual Pérez - Pascual Pérez, who pitched for the New York Yankees among other major and minor league teams, was killed in a home invasion attack at his residence in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 1. Pérez was 55 years old. (Photo: Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Jerry Brown - Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown, 25, was killed in a drunk-driving accident on Dec. 8. His teammate, defensive tackle Josh Brent, was driving the car and has been charged with felony intoxication manslaughter. (Photo: AP Photo/File)