Vikings great Doug Martin passed away at the age of 68 on Monday.
Martin, one of the best defensive lineman in Minnesota franchise history, was the ninth overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft.
“I’ll always remember his big chuckle, his laugh, and I will miss him calling me ‘Moony,’” Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, who played college football with Martin at Washington, said of his former teammate, according to a release from the Vikings. “He was a loyal and honest friend.”
Martin spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Vikings, retiring after the 1989 season.
He recorded 61.5 sacks in the league, which is the fourth-most in Vikings franchise history.
Martin had perhaps the best season of his career during the strike-shortened 1982 season, registering a league-leading 11.5 sacks in 12 games.
A year later, Martin recorded 13 sacks in 16 games.
Former Vikings teammate Scott Studwell, who played linebacker behind Martin for the entirety of the latter’s career, said he was a “solid, tough, really talented guy.”
“Tough to hear about Doug — he’s a great guy,” 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.”
Martin was born and raised in Fairfield, Calif., before playing four seasons at Washington.
“For a young guy, he was like a born leader,” former Washington teammate Al Burleson said, per Sports Illustrated. “He was that type of person where he fit right in. He just had all of the ability and qualifications to get instant respect after being there a couple of weeks.”
He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, George Martin, who played defensive end for the Giants from 1975 to 1988.
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