Jim Marshall, a former All-American defensive lineman at Ohio State who became an all-time ironman in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, died June 3. He was 87.
The Vikings announced Marshall died following a long hospitalization.
Marshall spent two seasons with the Buckeyes, including helping them to win their second national championship under legendary coach Woody Hayes in 1957.
He was a first-team All-American and All-Big Ten selection as a tackle the following year and had two touchdowns in a tie against Purdue in late 1958, returning a punt and interception into the end zone for both of Ohio State’s scores against the Boilermakers.
Also a member of the Ohio State track-and-field team, he set school records in the discus and shot put.
Marshall was born in Wilsonville, Kentucky, before moving to Columbus. He attended East High School.
During his two decades in the NFL, nearly all of them in Minnesota, he started 270 consecutive games in the regular season, a record that held for 30 years. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre broke his mark while with the Vikings in 2009.
Marshall made his first start with Minnesota, an expansion franchise, in 1961 and remained in the lineup until he retired at the end of 1979, playing until he was nearly 42 years old.
He played end on a dominant defensive line known as the Purple People Eaters and was twice selected to the Pro Bowl. The line, which also included Carl Eller, Gary Larsen and Alan Page, helped the Vikings appear in four Super Bowls during the 1970s.
Following his retirement from the NFL, he worked in business and real estate and established a foundation with former teammate Oscar Reed to assist youth who have experienced homelessness around Minneapolis.
This story was updated with additional information.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
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