Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall, the record-setting defensive end who played with the Minnesota Vikings' famed "Purple People Eater" squad, died June 3, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a long period of hospitalization at the age of 87.?

Marshall was a star athlete from an early age: an All-American in high school who played with two undefeated teams, a record-setting track star in college, and an Ohio State Hall of Fame football player who played with some of the best Buckeyes teams of the era. It was with the Minnesota Vikings, however, that his star fully shone. Initially drafted by the Cleveland Browns, he was traded to Minnesota the following year – and once he started playing, he never stopped until retirement. Marshall started a record 270 consecutive regular season games (a record later beaten by Hall of Famer Brett Favre). He also set the record for most recovered fumbles with 30, made two Pro Bowl starts, was named to three All-Pro teams, and won an NFL Championship with the team in 1969, all while also making one of football's most memorable blunders when he ran a fumble recovery 66 yards in the wrong direction. He played 20 seasons in all, a record for a defensive player, retiring after the 1979 season. Marshall's steady play earned him a place in the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor.

Favre paid tribute to the man whose record he broke on the social media platform X: "I'll never forget the day I got to meet Jim Marshall - one of the true original Iron Men of the NFL … Growing up watching guys like Jim, I learned what it meant to show up every single Sunday, no matter what. To have had the chance to shake his hand - and even play in front of him - was a real honor. Guys like Jim paved the way. They didn't ask for attention, they earned respect with every snap."

By Eric San Juan

(Image: Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)