Mick Tingelhoff, a Hall of Famer, a symbol for toughness and the greatest center in Minnesota Vikings history, has died, the team announced Saturday.
He was 81. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Tingelhoff was a Nebraska native and University of Nebraska lineman who went undrafted in 1962 and latched on with the Vikings, with whom he would stay throughout his 17-season career.
As a rookie, Tingelhoff won the starting job and immediately began a streak: He did not miss a game, playing in 240 while starting each one.
From 1964-69 he racked up six straight Pro Bowl nods and played in all four Vikings Super Bowl appearances in the ’70s, before retiring following the 1978 season.
Tingelhoff’s No. 53 is one of six numbers the Vikings have retired, and he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2015 after being nominated by the Hall’s senior committee.