Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck dies at age 70

Don Hasselbeck (Reddit)

According to Field Level Media on Tuesday, former National Football League tight end Don Hasselbeck of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away at the age of 70 on Monday. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Hasselbeck was with four NFL franchises. He was with the New England Patriots for seven seasons from 1977 to 1983, the Las Vegas Raiders in 1983, the Minnesota Vikings in 1984 and the New York Giants in 1985.

In 123 regular season games, Hasselbeck had 107 catches for 1542 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns. Hasselbeck’s most notable season came in 1981 with the Patriots. Hasselbeck had career highs in catches (46), receiving yards (808), and touchdown catches (six).

While with the Raiders, Hasselbeck was part of the Raiders team that won Super Bowl XVIII in 1983. The Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 at Tampa Stadium in central Florida. In the game, Hasselbeck did not have a catch but blocked a Redskins’s convert attempt. This was the last Super Bowl championship for an AFC franchise until the Denver Broncos won in 1998. While with the Raiders during the 1983 NFL regular season, Hasselbeck had two catches for 17 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Hasselbeck’s Super Bowl teammates included offensive right tackle Shelby Jordan of St. Louis, Missouri and safety Mike Davis of Berkley, California, who also passed away in the last five years.

Hasselbeck attended the University of Colorado. He was the Patriots’s second round pick, 52nd pick overall, in the 1977 NFL Draft.

Don Hasselbeck was the father of former National Football League quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Three times while with the Seattle Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was honoured in 2003, 2005 and 2007.