One of the most durable players in NFL history − though he was perhaps best known for an infamous blunder − has died.
The Minnesota Vikings announced the passing of longtime defensive end Jim Marshall on Tuesday. A cause was not revealed, though the team said Marshall’s death came ‘following a lengthy hospitalization.’ He was 87.
He played 19 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Vikings, joining them after being traded by the Cleveland Browns in 1961, which also happened to be Minnesota’s inaugural season. Along with Gary Larsen and Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, Marshall helped form the famed ‘Purple People Eaters’ defensive line, a unit largely responsible for driving the team to four Super Bowl berths between the 1969 and ’76 seasons − still the Vikings’ only appearances on Super Sunday, though they lost all four times.
‘Jim Marshall set the tone for how this franchise goes today,’ Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton once said via the club’s website. ‘We had the Purple People Eaters. They were the foundation of who we are. The leader of the band was Jim Marshall.’
A perennial team captain, Marshall started 270 consecutive regular-season games, second only to Hall of Famer Brett Favre (297) in NFL history. The 282 consecutive games Marshall played are the most ever by a defensive player. The Ohio State product’s 29 fumble recoveries were a record when he retired following the 1979 season, but he was later matched by eventual Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.
‘The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall,’ read a statement from the Wilf family, owners of the team.
‘No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man. 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. Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow. 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.’
The Vikings splashed images of Marshall, who was also a pillar of the Twin Cities community, atop their X account and will plan a celebration of his life.
However despite Marshall’s lengthy service, membership on one of the league’s most vaunted D-lines, two Pro Bowl nods and 130½ career sacks (all unofficial as they weren’t recognized until 1982), it was a legendary gaffe that brought him the most attention.
On Oct. 25, 1964, at San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium, Marshall was hustling while trailing a play in the fourth quarter. His effort was rewarded when he scooped up a 49ers fumble and set sail for the end zone − unfortunately, it was Minnesota’s. Unaware of his disorientation, Marshall galloped 66 yards − failing to notice teammates urging him to turn around − before crossing his own goal line and chucking the ball toward the sideline in celebration. But instead of scoring six points for the Vikings, he’d provided a safety for the Niners.
‘(P)eople, you know, constantly talk about the wrong way run,’ Marshall told NFL Films decades later.
‘I always tell them, ‘You know what, think about the worst mistake that you’ve ever made and think about a hundred, two hundred million people seeing you make that mistake and teasing you about it every day of your life. How would you feel?”
Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Minnesota prevailed 27-22, Marshall previously forcing a fumble that led to a touchdown which San Francisco couldn’t overcome.
Still, despite often being referred to as ‘Wrong Way Marshall,’ his numerous accomplishments distinguished him.
‘He was a special player,’ Hall of Fame Vikings coach Bud Grant said at the team’s facility years before his death in 2023.
‘Many times you’re asked, ‘Who are the greatest players?’ As a coach, you can’t say who is the best, but there is a category you do have, and that is ‘special.’ Jim Marshall was ‘special.”