Joe Kapp, one of the toughest and most beloved blue-collar characters in Vikings history, died Monday after 85 years of never turning away from a fight, never taking the easy road and never, ever running out of bounds when the most prudent thing for a quarterback to do was head for the safety of the nearest sideline.
Kapp, who battled dementia the last 15 years of his life, was 31 years old in the fall of 1969 when he kept telling any and all who asked that his success hinged on all 40 players on the roster giving full effort for 60 minutes.