NEW : Former teammates and friends mourn ` ` the nicest guy in the world '' Wayman Tisdale was college and pro football player , later a bassist . He had two - year battle with cancer ; he was 44 when he died Friday . Death called ` ` a complete shock '' ; Tisdale was about to record with Norman Petty .
NEW : Former teammates and friends mourn `` the nicest man in the world '' Wayman Tisdale was college and pro basketball star , later jazz bassist . Tisdale had two-year battle with cancer ; he was 44 when he died Friday . Death called `` a complete shock '' ; Tisdale was about to record with Norman Brown .