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The football world received tragic news on Tuesday afternoon, as the Minnesota Vikings announced that longtime defensive star and key member of the iconic “Purple People Eaters” defensive line, Jim Marshall, passed away at the age of 87 following a lengthy hospitalization.
While Marshall is best known for his legendary NFL career with the Vikings—where he became a franchise icon after being traded from the Cleveland Browns following his rookie season—his football journey began in Columbus, Ohio, as a standout for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Marshall spent three seasons at Ohio State and was instrumental in helping the Buckeyes capture a national championship in 1957. He followed that up with an All-American campaign in 1958.
On Wednesday, Ohio State released a statement mourning the sudden passing of Jim Marshall and honoring his legacy both at the collegiate and professional levels.
"The Ohio State football program mourns the loss of Jim Marshall, a Buckeye All-American and national champion, and extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the 20-year NFL veteran and 14-time captain of the Minnesota Vikings."
The Ohio State football program mourns the loss of Jim Marshall, a Buckeye All-American and national champion, and extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the 20-year NFL veteran and 14-time captain of the Minnesota Vikings. pic.twitter.com/FuQB9mQMQw
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 4, 2025
In addition to his football accomplishments, Marshall was also a standout track and field athlete during his time in Columbus, setting two school records in the discus and shot put.
Widely regarded as an NFL ironman, Marshall holds the league record for most consecutive games played by a defensive player, appearing in 270 straight contests—all with the Vikings. He also served as team captain for 14 of his 20 professional seasons.
Ohio State fans reacted to the news:
"RIP Jim," a fan said.
"RIP SIR," another fan posted.
Someone else added, "A Great Buckeye & Elite Minnesota Viking - the “Purple People Eaters” True Trail Blazer - need to be in Canton Prayers for Jim and his Family - RIP."
One more fan commented, "RIP."
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Cubs in danger of making enormous trade-deadline mistake
Boasting a 62-44 record in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs are still searching for a way to pull ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers took sole possession of first place in the division from the Cubs in an 8-4 win on Monday. Chicago will get its chance before the three-game set is over, but if the Cubs should fall to the Brewers, the trade deadline will be viewed as essential for their World Series chances. Several rumors of Chicago’s interest in starters, relievers and third basemen have swirled nonstop. And while they have shown interest in several quality names — Mitch Keller, Eugenio Suárez, MacKenzie Gore — some of their other trade targets are less than ideal. Among their worst sources of interest (if not, the worst) is struggling Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias, who is in his walk year. Hiding behind his shining 2.99 career ERA is a rather shocking, career-high 4.97 ERA, to which he has pitched this season. He is still a strikeout pitcher, having accumulated 46 Ks in 41.2 innings, but his run prevention capabilities have seemingly deteriorated. It was only last season when Iglesias posted a stellar 1.95 ERA. Since then, his home run total doubled, from surrendering just four last year to eight so far this year. His opponent batting average has also jumped, from .160 to .250. Iglesias is no stranger to success. He threw to ERAs south of 3.00 in eight of his 11 MLB years. However, this season, he just doesn’t appear to have it. Any team that trades for Iglesias in the last year of his contract would be betting that he can return to elite form before the season is over. Taking a risk on a pitcher like Iglesias in his current condition, especially when there are several other more reliable arms on the market, would be ill-advised. And for the Cubs, who are in a win-now position, having secured one guaranteed year of Kyle Tucker, taking a gamble on Iglesias could easily risk everything they worked for this season.
Analyst has interesting rating for Knicks' tactical offseason
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Former Packers Star Already Experiencing Issues With New Team
The Green Bay Packers decided to cut cornerback Jaire Alexander last month, a rather frustrating move considering the Packers didn’t really have much of an answer to replace him. One of the primary reasons Green Bay released Alexander was because of his inability to stay healthy, as the two-time Pro Bowler played in just 14 games over the last two seasons and 34 over the last four. He refused to take a pay cut, and the Packers did not feel justified paying that much money for a guy who was rarely on the field. Well, Green Bay was kind of validated in its decision to move on from Alexander in training camp, as the 28-year-old is already sidelined in Baltimore Ravens camp due to swelling in his knee, via Jason B. Hirschhorn of The Leap. Alexander is going to have his knee drained and is expected to practice on Tuesday, but the fact that he is already experiencing injury issues in Baltimore is evidence that the Packers made the right move. Of course, it would have been nice if Green Bay cut Alexander back in March rather than in June, as it would have given the team a better opportunity to add another cornerback, either via free agency or the NFL Draft. Yes, the Packers signed Nate Hobbs, but the general consensus at the time was that he was being added to play alongside of Alexander; not to replace him. Green Bay has very limited proven depth at the position, and had the Packers known for sure they would be parting ways with Alexander earlier in the offseason, perhaps they would have been more inclined to bring in another corner. When healthy, Alexander is terrific. During his last healthy campaign in 2022, he racked up 56 tackles, five interceptions and 14 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance, but that’s just the thing: it’s rare that the former first-round pick isn’t dealing with some sort of injury.
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