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R.I.P. Wally Hilgenberg
Former Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg has died at the age of 66 after a bout with ALS. The Iowa native and Hawkeye football star began his NFL career with Detroit then was traded to the Steelers, but wound up being waived after never playing a game for them. He landed in Minnesota where he blossomed into a solid contributor on one of the most feared and famous defenses in NFL history. Hilgenberg was on-board for all four Vikings Super Bowl appearances, finally retiring in 1979. The Star-Trib’s Patrick Reusse has penned a tribute featuring testimonials from many of Hilgenberg’s teammates. The great Jim Marshall says of his friend:
We lined up together for every game, and for every practice, for all those years. We relied on each other on the field, but it was in our personal lives where we were close.
I’m always linked with Alan [Page] and Carl [Eller], as it should be, but Wally was as close a friend as I had with the Vikings. Our lives were intertwined. Those Vikings teams … our families grew up together.
Here’s a great TV interview doen with Wally Hilgenberg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEslSeMsOJg
September 25th, 2008 at 7:41 am