Marshall set an NFL record for consecutive games by a position player (282) that was later broken by Brett Favre (299). Marshall still ranks fourth in the latter category behind Favre (298), Bruce Matthews (292) and Jerry Rice (284).
Marshall set the NFL record with 29 career opponent fumble recoveries that was later tied by Jason Taylor.
Although sacks did not officially count until the 1982 season, pro-football-reference.com analyzed stat books from all games since 1960 and tallied 130.5 for Marshall, which ranked third in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Only Hall of Famers Deacon Jones (173.5) and Vikings teammate Carl Eller (133.5) tallied more than Marshall through the 1979 season. Marshall was selected to two Pro Bowls and started 19 playoff games, including all four of the Vikings trips to Super Bowls.
His final start occurred on Dec. 16, 1979, two weeks before he turned 42 years old.
As Steve Sabol said in an NFL Films feature about Marshall, “No player in the history of the game ever played harder, longer than Jim Marshall.”
Paul Wiggin, who played 146 games for Cleveland, including 12 in 1960 as Marshall’s teammate, knew just where he should look for quality game film after Wiggin became a coach.
“I studied 30 great linemen at that time, both inside and outside players,” Wiggin said. “Jim Marshall, in my opinion, was the most natural and best football player of all of them. I know the difference between good and great. He was great.
“It isn’t easy [to play every week] because there are days where Sunday, you get up and you don’t know how you’re going to do it,” the former defensive lineman added. “He did it forever.”
Grant in 1979, upon Marshall announcing his intention to retire predicted the appreciation for Marshall would grow over time. Like most cases, Grant was correct.
“I don’t think any of us here really appreciates Jim Marshall today,” Grant was quoted by The Associated Press. “As time and years go by, we’ll appreciate him more than ever. … He’s going out on top like Francis did. He’s not going out on the Injured Reserve or as a backup player. He’s going out as a starting, full-time player, playing as well as he always has.
“Maybe we’ve taken it for granted that Jim Marshall plays hurt,” Grant said. “But durability is the most important ability you have. You can’t achieve greatness without durability, and that is personified in Jim Marshall. He has been hurt. But he doesn’t break. He bends. He heals. He has a high pain threshold. … Jim not only plays hurt, he plays as well when he’s hurt as when he isn’t. That’s what’s important.”
Upon retiring from the game, Marshall continued to make his home in Minnesota and give back to this community.
He and former teammate Oscar Reed co-founded The Link to support youth and families experiencing homelessness, young people who are survivors of sex trafficking and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. 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.
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