The Minnesota Vikings sadly confirmed Thursday that former defensive end Doug Martin has died. He was 68 years old.
Martin, a former first-round pick from Washington, spent his entire 10-year career with the Vikings. The All-Pro led the league with 11.5 sacks in 1982. He finished his run in Minnesota with 61.5 sacks, which places him fourth all-time in team history.
The Vikings revealed that Martin passed away Monday. As you'd imagine, his former teammates were devastated over this news.
"Tough to hear about Doug — he's a great guy," former Vikings linebacker Scott Studwell said. "He was a huge part of any success we had, and you could count on him. He was a great player and a better man. We will miss him."
It's been a devastating stretch for the Vikings.
The Vikings announced in late March that former linebacker Jeff Siemon died at 75. The four-time Pro Bowler was named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings, which makes sense considering he ranks third all-time in team history with career tackles (1,375).
“Jeff was a great teammate — a leader for us on the field and a really good linebacker. He was key to our teams,” former Bobby Bryant said after learning the news. “As good of a player that Jeff was, he was a better person — truly one of the best guys we had. You never heard anyone speak cross of Jeff. His faith was his guide, and he was not afraid to share it with people. He touched so many.”
The Vikings also lost six-time Pro Bowler Joey Browner less than a month ago. He had 37 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and four touchdowns during his career.
We're keeping all those impacted by these losses in our thoughts.
