John Teerlinck, retired NFL defensive line coach for the Browns, Rams, Vikings, Lions, Broncos, and Colts, has passed away at age 69.
Dedicated position group coaches often go relatively unnoticed by fans, at least in comparison to their impact on the game. But with Teerlinck’s passing, much like Don Shula’s recent passing, the NFL has lost one of the best to ever do it. “It”, in this case, being coaching defensive linemen to ruin opposing quarterbacks’ days.
Teerlinck excelled at that over the course of his 33 year career as an NFL defensive line coach.