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http://blog.startribune.com/sports/access-vikingsTingelhoff, a five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler from 1962 to 1978, was chosen this afternoon as the Hall of Fame Senior Committee’s lone nominee for enshrinement in 2015.
Although the Senior Committee carries tremendous weight, Tingelhoff still must receive at least 80 percent of the vote from the full board of selectors. They will meet and vote on the Saturday before Super Bowl 49 in February.
@markcraignfl -- Tingelhoff on what he is most proud of: "I never missed a game in the NFL, college or high school."
@markcraignfl -- Tingelhoff on today's news: "It's unbelievable. I'm honored, but I'll be a lot happier if they put me in."
@ChrisWarcraft -- Talked to a bunch of the historic Vikings guys when they would come by the facility, and they all agreed it was a shame Mick wasn't in yet.
Of course!dead_poet wrote:He was before my time. I doubt there's a Tinglehoff highlight reel, is there?
Eli wrote:Tinglehoff was manhandled pretty thoroughly in the four Super Bowls in which he appeared. It's not all that surprising that he's never been voted into the HoF.
I think he's easily deserving of induction into the Hall. He went to six straight Pro Bowls in the 1960s. He was an elite player at his position for a good portion of his career, widely recognized as one of the best in the game.Eli wrote:Like Marshall, Tinglehoff's greatest claim to fame was his long, injury-free career, playing at a high standard. That in itself is remarkable, but it's not what gets you voted into the Hall of Fame.
There are just 40 offensive linemen from the modern era in the HoF. Of those, only about 9 centers. Is
Tinglehoff an all-time top 10 center? I don't think so, but we'll see. If he makes it, hats off to him.
Durability and longevity alone should merit Tingelhoff consideration for Canton. He walked into the Minnesota camp as an undrafted free agent in 1962 and went on to start every game of a 17-year career. His 240 consecutive starts are the most ever by an NFL center.
But there was quality in addition to that quantity in Tingelhoff’s resume. He was a six-time Pro Bowler on teams that won 10 division titles and four NFC championships. He was voted either first- or second-team All-Pro seven times.
The Vikings finished in the Top 5 in rushing five times in the 1960s. Tingelhoff blocked for running backs who went to a combined 13 Pro Bowls in his career. Not a single one of those backs, by the way, is in the Hall of Fame. Minnesota also finished in the Top 6 in passing in six of Tingelhoff’s final seven seasons. During that seven-year stretch, the Vikings were the only NFL team to pass for 20,000 yards.
Tingelhoff also was a four-down center, a rarity in today’s NFL. He was a 17-year deep snapper for the Vikings and chipped in 15 career special-teams tackles. His snaps allowed placekicker Fred Cox to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,365 points.
He has that chance now. I really hope he gets in.Had the Vikings won just one of those four Super Bowls, Tingelhoff might already be in Canton. He’s now in his 31st year of eligibility and is still waiting for his 15 minutes in the room to have his candidacy judged by the committee. The selection process has failed him. He’ll need the senior committee now to rescue his candidacy.
Fran Tarkenton (still from Sid's column):One of Tingelhoff’s biggest boosters was the late Vince Lombardi, who was a personal friend and told me after one of the Vikings’ victories over the Packers in Green Bay, “That number 53 played one of the greatest games I’ve ever witnessed a center play.” And when I told Lombardi that Tingelhoff played with a torn muscle, he laughed.
So to prove my point, I got Don Lannon, the Vikings’ doctor at the time, to send Lombardi an X-ray of Tingelhoff’s knee. The Packers coach was shocked and brought it up the next time I saw him.
When the Vikings retired his jersey in 2001, longtime Vikings trainer Fred Zamberletti verified what I told Lombardi when he told the Star Tribune: “I remember once he tore a [leg] muscle. We taped him all the way from his toes to his buttocks, and he played every play against Green Bay. I remember another time, he had a separated shoulder. The doctor said there was no way he could play, but somehow he had a miraculous recovery and played Sunday.”
More from the column:“Mick and I retired the same year together, we retired after the 1978 season and Bud [Grant, the former Vikings coach] told the press, ‘Well, we’ve won games here without Fran Tarkenton starting, but I’ve never won a game here without Mick Tingelhoff starting.’ That’s a great quote from Bud.”
Former Vikings coach Paul Wiggin, who still works for the team, on Tingelhoff: “I think the Hall of Fame is a place for great players. I wonder sometimes when people go in, were they really a great player? I think everyone that’s had anything to do with Mick, whether they were on his team or an opponent, would say he’s a great player and belongs in the Hall of Fame. I believe that.”
On the same day Tingelhoff’s jersey was retired in 2001, teammate Ron Yary told the Star Tribune that Tingelhoff’s consistency was amazing. “Mick may have had one bad snap in 17 years of football,” Yary said. “And that includes snapping on field goals and extra points. His consistency was almost unbelievable.”
