Vikings great, Hall of Famer Chris Doleman dead at 58
UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1992: Chris Doleman #56 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up during pregame warmups prior to the start of an NFL football game circa 1992. Doleman played for the Vikings from 1985-93 and in 1999. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images (Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - Late Tuesday night, Minnesota Vikings great Chris Doleman passed away, the team announced on Twitter. He was 58.
For 15 seasons, he tormented quarterbacks as one of the NFL's most feared defensive ends.
An eight-time Pro Bowler, Doleman spent 10 seasons with the Vikings amassing a league high 21 sacks in 1989. Doleman finished his NFL career with 150.5 sacks, including eight in his final season with the Vikings in 1999.
After being drafted by the Vikings in 1985 and spending his first nine seasons in Minnnesota, Doleman spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons and three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before returning to the Vikings for his final NFL season.
Doleman was inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2011. In 2012, Doleman was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Chris Doleman being inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor
"The Minnesota Vikings express our deepest sympathies to Chris Doleman's family and friends upon his passing. Chris was a great example for players past and present, as he embodied all the best characteristics of Viking relilience, toughness, and competitive spirit. Chris always carried himself with dignity and class. Vikings fans worldwide will greatly miss him," The Vikings and the Wilf family said in a statement.
Doleman was named First Team All-Pro three times, First Team All-NFC four times and was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Doleman was in the playoffs in 10 of his 15 NFL seasons.
No cause of death was reported. In 2018, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and had a tumor removed. Doleman posted on Twitter as recently as Sunday that he was celebrating two years of being a brain cancer survivior.