MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Jim Marshall, the legendary Vikings defensive lineman who helped earn Minnesota’s fearsome front line the nickname “Purple People Eaters,” died Tuesday at age 87 following a prolonged hospitalization for an undisclosed illness.
In addition to being the captain of one of the NFL’s greatest defensive units, Marshall set a league record that stood for decades by starting an astounding 282 consecutive games, solidifying his reputation as an ironman of the sport.
Vikings leadership, the Wilf Family Ownership Group, offered its condolences to Marshall’s family with a statement shared to social media: “No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie, and passion more than the all-time iron man...Jim led by example, and there was no finer example to follow,” it read.
Former quarterback Brett Favre, who broke Marshall’s consecutive games played streak during his own stint with the Vikings, also posted a tribute to Marshall on X:
“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. I tried to bring that same mindset to the field every week," Farve wrote.
Fran Tarkenton, the iconic Vikings quarterback and longtime teammate of Marshall, reflected on their time together in a heartfelt video message, saying, “He was the greatest leader in football that I’ve ever played with. In all the years of the Vikings, from 1961 to now, there’s never been a player-leader like Jim Marshall...Rest in peace, my friend. You set the standards.”
Sacks didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1982, three years after Marshall retired in 1979; still, it’s estimated that he got to the quarterback 130.5 times throughout the course of his career, placing him 22nd on the league’s all-time list.
Marshall’s passing comes one year after the franchise unveiled the Jim Marshall Vikings Captains Legacy Wall to honor both current and former Minnesota team leaders at the Vikes’ practice facility.