MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hall of Fame center Mick Tingelhoff, the ultimate ironman who started 240 consecutive games at a bruising position for the Minnesota Vikings and played in four Super Bowls, has died. He was 81.
Undrafted in 1962, Tingelhoff played 17 years for the Vikings and was never sidelined once. His games started streak is the third longest in NFL history, behind only Brett Favre (297) and Jim Marshall (270). Philip Rivers tied Tingelhoff last season before retiring.
“Mick was one of those guys who, when they made him, the mold was thrown away,” his former teammate, Chuck Foreman, said in an interview on Saturday after the Vikings and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tingelhoff’s death.