There are famous last words from celebrities that they say before they leave this world. Some of those last words stick with family members and friends forever and fans of that celebrity. It really goes the same for athletes. When an athlete who has really achieved fame and played well throughout their career find their time is coming to an end, it's a sad time. This list contains athletes and their last words, at least the last we may have heard from them. Some of these sentences, may have heard before, like Joe DiMaggio, and Babe Ruth. Some you may not have heard before like Junior Seau and Muhammad Ali.

When an athlete leaves us by taking their own life, they often leave a not for their loved ones. A lot of times depression plays in a big role in NFL players who suffer from CTE. Sometimes like you'll see on this list the athlete passes on in a tragic accident hours after playing their sport. It's very sad and the memories the families have will hold onto them forever and their last words. This list will tell you the 15 last words of deceased athletes. Hopefully, we can learn something from them.

15 15. MUHAMMAD ALI

Muhammad Ali was a great athlete and one of the best boxers in history. Ali's daughter remembers one of the last moments with her dad in a interview with Independent. Rasheda Ali tells Independent that her father was an inspiration to her and to always be humble. "I think the best advice he could give us was to stay humble and be kind to others." She also talked about the legacy Ali would leave. She told Independent that her father would say"I’m bigger than boxing" "He built an incredible legacy, I can’t think of many personalities who are on his level."

Some of the last words Ali spoke before he died was that his daughters would carry his legacy. Ali told Independent "And I told him that on the other side, “You’re going to be young, handsome, fast and pretty.”

14 14. Jovan Belcher

This is perhaps the most unique case on this list, because the late Kansas City Chiefs linebacker uttered his last words in front of his team's coach and general manager before taking his life. Belcher had just committed a terrible act, as he shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins following an argument. He then drove to the Chiefs facility and with a firearm in his hand, he explained to his coach Romeo Crennel, and Scott Pioli, the GM, what he had just done. They tried to talk him out of it, saying he'd be taking the coward's way out, but Belcher's mind was made up.

"You know that I've been having some major problems at home with my girlfriend. I need help! I wasn't able to get enough help. I appreciate everything you all have done for me with trying to help… but it wasn't enough.

I have hurt my girl already, and I can't go back now."

With the police closing in, Belcher turned away from his superiors and pulled the trigger.

13 13. BABE RUTH

Babe Ruth was the greatest power hitter who ever lived. The great Bambino was a star for the Red Sox before being traded to the Yankees in 1918. That year and for a long time the Yankees won a lot of championships while the Red Sox wouldn't win a World Series until 2004, breaking an 86 year curse. Babe Ruth spent 22 years in the majors and had 714 home runs and 2,214 RBIs in his Hall Of Fame career. The multi-time all star won the World Series seven times and won the batting title.

His batting average in his career was .342 and he totaled 2,873 hits in his career. Babe Ruth will always be remembered for being the greatest hitter who ever lived. Ruth passed on August 16, 1948 at the age of 53. His final words were 'I'm going over the valley.'

12 12. JUNIOR SEAU

Junior Seau had a severe case of CTE while he was playing football. He is a Hall Of Famer and was a great player in the NFL. He did suffer from depression and tried to commit suicide before taking his own life on May 2, 2012 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the chest. Seau had suffered from a lot of head-on collisions during his 20 year career in the NFL Before Seau passed, he texted his wife and his three kids.

The text ended with the words 'I Love You.'

Seau retired from the NFL in 2006 then unretired days later saying he couldn't give up the game he loved. He retired permanently from the NFL in 2009. Seau was a 12 time Pro Bowler and a six time All Pro. In total, he played 268 games in the NFL.

11 11. JOSE FERNANDEZ

The most recent tragedy in baseball is Jose Fernandez who died after a boat crash in Miami. His last words to his girlfriend was in a Instagram post saying:

"I'm ready for where this journey is gonna take us together."

He was talking about his pregnant girlfriend at the time. Fernandez was only 24 years old when him and two others were on a boat and slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach. The crash happened shortly after 3am. It was reported that Fernandez was intoxicated and high on cocaine and was also the driver of the boat when it crashed, according to the Miami Herald. If he lived he would've been charged with manslaughter according to a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

10 10. AARON HERNANDEZ

When Aaron Hernandez took his own life this past spring in jail he wrote his final words in a note. Aaron Hernandez had everything going for him with playing football in the NFL. He threw away that opportunity when he was around the wrong crowd and got involved with drugs and gangs. Hernandez wrote three notes. The note to his fiancee read " shay you have always been my soulmate and I want you to live life."

The end of the note read "You're rich I knew I loved you."

Hernandez was serving a life sentence at the Souza-Baranowski Correction Center. He was convicted of first - degree murder in 2015 for the shooting death of Odin Lloyd. He had just been handed a life sentence days before he took his own life and many speculate he took his own life, because that would make him innocent in the eyes of Massachusetts law, and his assets could go to his daughter.

9 9. JOE DIMAGGIO

Joe DiMaggio was a star baseball player in the 1940s. He is not only famous for being a great baseball player but also for dating Marylin Monroe. Monroe and DiMaggio filed for divorce in 1954 and he turned to his friend Frank Sinatra for advice. DiMaggio and Sinatra were both American icons at the time.

DiMaggio and Monroe met in 1952 after DiMaggio's historic Yankee run while Monroe was beginning her's. Monroe was 25 while DiMaggio was 37 years old. DiMaggio was obsessed with Monroe and really wanted to marry her from the beginning according to a long time friend Robert Solotaire. On March 8, 1999 Joe DiMaggio passed on at the age of 84. His last words really sum up how he felt all those years, as he exclaimed: 'I'll finally get to see Marilyn."

8 8. WALTER PAYTON

Walter Payton was a tough football player who was tough even when he was diagnosed with cancer. An author named Don Yaeger who would write an autobiography on Payton was with him during his final days. Payton wanted to keep the diagnosis quiet and never gave up hope that he would beat it. The first time Yaegar saw Payton, he was shocked at how Payton looked. " I was shocked the first time I saw him, but he didn't feel sorry for himself or his condition, He seemed at peace, I will tell you that." Yaegar told the Chicago Tribune right after Payton died in 1999.

Payton was only 45 when he passed away. In his final days Yaegar asked if Payton felt like yelling at God Payton replied "Are you serious? Something good is going to come of this. I just haven't figured out what it is yet."

7 7. MICKEY MANTLE

Mickey Mantle loved to drink and was an all time great Yankee. Mantle would go to the doctor because he was having problems with his liver. The MRI revealed that if Mantle had another drink it might be his last according to his doctor. On June 1,1995, Mantle was hospitalized for a stomach disorder. Liver cancer was found and he would need a transplant to survive. His cancerous liver was removed but more cancer was found and his survival would be short term.

The last words Mantle would say were when his friends were at his bedside.

Mantle opened his eyes and said. "You guys ain't leavin' already, are you?"

On Saturday August 13, 1995 doctors would tell the family he didn't have much time left and he may not last through the night. Merlyn held his one hand and his son David held the other. Merlyn said "Hi Mick" He opened his eyes said nothing and forty minutes later he was dead.

6 6. LOU GEHRIG

When it was Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium Lou Gehrig said the most famous words at a home plate ceremony. “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.” Those would be his final public words.

Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, which is now commonly known Lou Gehrig's disease. Gehrig died on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37. In 1940 Gehrig tried to stop the progress of the disease by undergoing a series of treatments, but as we know, no cure has been found for this terrible disease.

5 5. DAVE DUERSON

On February 17, 2011 Dave Duerson took his own life. His final text to his ex wife before he died was:

"I love you. I always loved you. I love our kids, Please, see that my brain is given to the NFL.'s brain bank."

She tried calling him several times but there would be no answer. It was revealed Duerson had suffered from CTE, after his brain would be studied just like he requested.

Alicia Duerson told the Chicago Tribune she doesn't know why he took his own life saying. "I don't want to say that was the reason,I don't want to give a reason because I don't know. I only know what he told me — 'Get my brain to the NFL. I think there is something wrong with the left side of my brain."

4 4. NICK ADENHART

After pitching six innings in a playoff game, Nick Adenhart was killed in a devastating car crash. Before the crash and after the game he was so elated and excited to get his opportunity to show he belonged in the majors. Nick was only 22 years old when he passed away, along with two of his friends. The driver of the other car got charged with a DUI and 51 years in prison. The guy was three times over the legal limit and already on probation for a felony of drunken driving.

Adenhart's final words after the game were "I battled early and it felt good to get out of some jams." Just a routine comment made to a reporter, as if things would be normal the next day. Hours later his young life was taken by a drunk driver.

3 3. MADISON HOLLERAN

Madison Holleran an 19-year-old up and coming track athlete jumped off atop of a Philadelphia parking garage and died. Her parents released her final note. The note began "I don't know who I am anymore. trying. trying.trying, I'm sorry. I love you...sorry again...sorry again...sorry again...How did this happen? 'I love you all...I'm sorry. I love you.'

That's how the note ended. She also left gifts for her family; a necklace for her mother, chocolate for her father and cookies for her grandparents. Mr. Holleran and his wife started The Madison Holleran Foundation in her honor. The foundation's purpose is to help high school seniors and college freshman who are depressed or suicidal. All in all, it was a tragedy that a woman felt the need to end it all at such a young age.

2 2. ROBERTO CLEMEMTE

Roberto Clemente's demise is especially tragic, because in his last professional ballgame, he recorded his 3,000th hit to join the prestigious 3,000 hit club. Who knows how much further he could have gone. Clemente was on a plane when it crashed in 1973. Clemente was not just a great baseball player, but also a leader of the Puerto Rican efforts to aid the Nicaraguan victims of an earthquake.

The plane was carrying four people and crashed a mile and a half from shore due to engine failure, as the plane was said to be carrying too much weight, from the supplies. Mrs. Clemente thought the plane was old and concerned before he left. His last words to her were "If there is one more delay, we'll leave this for tomorrow."

Clemente insisted on going because he wanted to make sure the supplies got into the hands of the people that needed them.

1 1. THURMAN MUNSON

Munson died at the age of 32 in a plane crash. He was not planning to fly that day on his $1.4 million jet called the Cessna Citation. Munson bought the jet three weeks earlier to spend more time with his family. Munson had been flying for about 18 months and enjoyed the peace it brought. On the day of the plane crash Jerry Anderson who survived the crash feels like he owes his life to Munson and that Munson was a hero. Anderson told the New York Daily News saying. " He flew that plane right to the ground, He never gave up. The same attitude that he took to the plate in the ninth inning of a 3-3 game is what saved my life." When Munson crashed, his legs were pinned by the crushed fuselage. His last words were "Are you guys okay?"