Vikings legend, Pro Football Hall of Famer Mick Tingelhoff dies at 81

 If ever there was a player who symbolized consistent greatness, it was Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff.



Through 17 autumns with the Vikings, Tingelhoff never missed a game, starting 240 straight in a career that saw six Pro Bowl trips and five All-Pro selections.

Tingelhoff passed away at the age of 81 on Saturday, the Vikings announced.

"Mick Tingelhoff was the anchor of the great Vikings teams during an amazing era that included four Super Bowls," the Wilf family said in a statement. "A humble but strong leader, he defined toughness. Mick's legacy will live on as a Hall of Famer, on the field and off the field. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Tingelhoff's astounding streak of 240 starts in a row is the most for a center in NFL chronicle and second in the Vikings' history behind only defensive end Jim Marshall's unbelievable run of 270 in a row. Furthering just how impressive Tingelhoff's durability was, he made all those starts while also handling long-snapping duties.

An undrafted free agent linebacker in 1962, Tingelhoff's NFL journey concluded with his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Tingelhoff, who played with the team from '62 to 1978, was a pivotal contributor to the Vikings franchise's most successful seasons. He was part of four Vikings Super Bowl squads and helped Minnesota to 10 division titles over his final 11 seasons.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Marcas Grant's 2021 NFL Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 2

Image
 Many things about fantasy football are unpredictable. It's the uncertainty that brings us back to the fake game year after year. If we knew for sure what was going to happen, this wouldn't be as fun. More importantly, I'd be out of a job. So … hooray for chaos!  But not everything about fantasy is so murky. The biggest known heading into Week 1 is that we really didn't know much. We spent plenty of time speculating. The entire offseason was one big fever dream of what we think could happen this year. Alas, what we wish for and what we get are frequently not the same.   In that spirit, we lick our Trey Sermon and Michael Pittman-sized wounds, take stock of what we learned, and try to get better in Week 2. Let's go.  Broncos nation wasn't particularly thrilled with Teddy Bridgewater  being named the starter, but he acquitted himself well in the season opener. This week, the matchup is even more in his favor against a Jaguars defense that made Tyrod Taylor
Read more

2021 NFL Schedule: Release date, schedule changes, divisional opponents, key dates, more

Image
With the the 2021 NFL Draft behind us, the next step this offseason is the anticipated release of the 2021 NFL schedule. Below are the answers to all the key questions to get you ready for the upcoming season. When is the 2021 NFL schedule released? Wednesday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET. When does the 2021 NFL season start ? The 2021 NFL Kickoff Weekend is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Sept. 9, with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the customary host of the new season's official start. How do they make the NFL schedule? The league's 32 teams are split into two conferences — the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The 16 teams in each conference are split into the East, North, South and West divisions with every division containing four teams. Here's a breakdown of how each team's opponents are set: Six games against divisional opponents — two games per team, one at home and one on the road. Four games aga
Read more

New Ravens LB Justin Houston: 'I was so close' to signing with Steelers

Image
 With every free-agent signing comes news of the teams that missed out on said talent. New Ravens edge rusher Justin Houston revealed Saturday that he turned down a few better offers to sign with the perennial AFC contender. One of those overlooked clubs just so happens to be Baltimore's biggest rival. "I was so close to signing with the Steelers," he told reporters. "That was crazy. They [were] one of the teams I was considering." Considering his status as one of the NFL's more respected pass rushers, Houston heading to B-More instead of the Steel City could be a move that notably impacts both squads down the road. Not to mention, any player's decision to spurn the Steelers for the Ravens, or vice versa, adds another smoldering albeit unneccesary coal to the blazing fire that is arguably the greatest rivalry in NFL history. It's unlikely Houston factored this long-standing beef into his choice but the veteran is now a part of the latest chapter in t
Read more