IN MEMORIAM
“HE WAS THE CAPTAIN. HE WAS THE BEST CAPTAIN OF ANY TEAM THAT I’VE EVER BEEN ON BEFORE. ” – Ahmad Rashad, Retired Vikings Wide Receiver and TV Broadcaster
“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall. No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man. A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career. Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow.” - Minnesota Vikings No player in the history of the game played harder, longer than Jim Marshall. - Steve Sabol, Former president of NFL Films “When I was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1968, the first person that I looked up was Jim Marshall. Jim was the only per- son that I knew on the team at the time and because I knew he was a Kappa. He welcomed me to the team and we were teammates for five years. Jim was an exceptional leader. Jim was the defensive [team] captain for fourteen years, but more importantly he was the team’s leader all the time on and off the field. Jim led by example on the field and was a fair and loyal team- mate. He was all of this, at a time when African American team captains in the NFL were few. We lost a great one.” - John W. Henderson Jr. (Sigma 1962), Retired NFL Wide Receiver, former teammate (1968-1972), and a member of the St. Paul-Minneapolis (MN) Alumni Chapter
played with 282 regular season games. Marshall still holds the career record holder in opponent fumbles recov- ered (29). Immortalized on NFL Films® was a Marshall-recovered fumble in a 1964 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Viking defense forced a 49ers player to fumble, Marshall scooped it up and scampered 66 yards into the end zone—the wrong way. Thinking he scored a Viking
touchdown, an excited Marshall tossed the ball in celebration. The referees awarded San Francisco two points, for a safety. From 1968 through 1978, the Marshall-led Vikings advanced to the NFL postseason 10 times in 11 seasons and won 10 NFC Central Division titles. Marshall played in four Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX, and XI) with the Vikings losing all four games. In retirement, Marshall
and his wife continued to make the Twin Cities home. He worked for a brokerage firm and also in real estate. Along with his Viking teammate Oscar Reed, Marshall established The Link which supports youth and families expe- riencing homelessness, The Link offers programs designed to empower youth with resources and relationships to pursue their goals, serving more than 2,000 youth and
families in the Twin Cities each year. Brother Jim Marshall is survived by his wife Susan Landwehr, daughters Angie Marshall Moore and Jimi Belanger; sister, Deloris Bosley; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. For the 2025 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings players will display Mar- shall’s number 70 on their jerseys in his honor. ♦
SUMMER 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 85
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