Former New Orleans Saints center/linebacker Jackie Burkett passed away Friday night at the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.
Burkett, who battled leukemia, was 80.
A member of the original Saints roster, he snapped the football when kicker Tom Dempsey drilled a then-NFL record 63-yard field goal to give the Saints a 19-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Nov. 8, 1970.
"The New Orleans Saints extend our sympathies to the family of Jackie Burkett, including his wife, Jackie," the team said in a statement issued Wednesday.