Lonnie Warwick was an NFL linebacker best known for his eight years with the Minnesota Vikings’ Purple People Eaters, and for playing in Super Bowl IV.
- Died: October 28, 2024 (Who else died on October 28?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 82.
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Lonnie Warwick’s legacy
Once called one of the meanest people in football by a teammate, Warwick was part of the legendary Purple People Eaters, the Minnesota Vikings defensive squad of the 1960s and early ‘70s that proved itself as formidable as an NFL defense can be.
Warwick began his rise to the pros while in high school, attending Mount Hope High School in Mount Hope, West Virginia. There, he was all-state, went to the 1959 state championship, and was eventually inducted into the West Virginia North-South Football Hall of Fame. His football career in college at Tennessee Tech proved just as successful, landing him in the Tennessee Tech Hall of Fame.
His eight years with the Vikings and 10 years total as an NFL player are what cemented Warwick’s place in football history. He signed as a free agent with the Minnesota team in 1964, started in Super Bowl IV, and led the team in tackles four out of his eight years, earning a reputation as a fearsome opponent along the way. Knee injuries hampered his performance in 1971 and ’72, however, leading to limited playtime and an eventual move to the Atlanta Falcons, for whom he played two seasons before retiring from the NFL.
Warwick spent time as a coach after his playing days were over, coaching (and playing occasionally) for the Washington Redskins, then Salem University and the Denver Gold of the United States Football League before settling back in his hometown of Mount Hope.
Tributes to Lonnie Warwick
Full obituary: The Register-Herald
