Former Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Chris Doleman passed away Wednesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 58.
Doleman was the fourth overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Vikings. He played his first nine seasons in Minnesota but later spent two seasons in Atlanta and three in San Francisco before returning to Minnesota for his final season.
He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in Canton in 2012.
He was drafted as a linebacker, but after his first two NFL seasons, he converted to defensive end. That is when his sack and tackle numbers really started to accumulate.
He recorded 150.5 career regular-season sacks, including a career-high 21 in 1989. He tallied seven more sacks in his 17 career playoff games. He also had eight interceptions in his 15-year career.
Anyone who followed the Vikings or football in general throughout the 1990s can recall the tandem Doleman was a part of. The double-headed monster of Doleman and fellow Hall of Famer, John Randle, was one of the fiercest the league has ever seen.
We express our deepest sympathies to Chris Doleman’s family and friends upon his passing. pic.twitter.com/4smc4gn5PY
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 29, 2020
