Minnesota Vikings legend Jim Marshall died Tuesday after a “lengthy hospitalization,” the team announced.
He was 87.
Known as “The Captain,” Marshall joined the Vikings in their inaugural season in 1961 after being traded to Minnesota from the Browns after his rookie season.
The defensive end would then play 270 straight games over 19 seasons with the Vikings, setting an NFL record that stood for three decades until quarterback Brett Favre broke it in 2009.
Never missing a game, Marshall was a headliner among Minnesota’s iconic “Purple People Eaters” defense.
“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall. No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man,” said Vikings president Mark Wilf, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and the Wilf family ownership group in a statement.
“A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career.”
Marshall was a team captain for 14 seasons, a two-time Pro Bowler and played in all four of the franchise’s Super Bowl appearances.
He won an NFL Championship in 1969 in the final season before the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
While sacks were not an official statistic throughout Marshall’s 20 years in the league, Pro Football Reference credited him for 130.5 sacks, which ranked third at the time of his retirement and would currently tie him at 22nd in league history.
“Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow,” the Wilf family continued in their statement. “His impact on the Vikings was felt long after he left the field. Jim will always be remembered as a tremendous player and person. Our hearts are with his wife, Susan, and all of Jim’s loved ones.”
